Hallucinations
by ldyjaydin
Summary: After a head injury lands Daryl unconscious, he begins to hallucinate about what things might have been like if the zombie apocalypse had never happened and he'd gotten to meet Carol. Story alternates between reality at the prison and Daryl's hallucinations.
1. Chapter 1

**Hallucinations**

Hi Everyone! This is my second multi-chapter fan fiction endeavor and has no relation to my last one, "The Green-Eyed Monster". It takes place during the time between when Daryl and Merle come back to the prison and the showdown with the Governor. I know technically there was not enough time for this in the show so that makes it somewhat of an alternate universe.

I love The Walking Dead and Caryl in particular. Fan fiction seems like the best way to help the pain of waiting for October to come around again. Please review; constructive criticism is welcome. Hope you enjoy!

I do not own The Walking Dead but I love those that do!

**Chapter 1**

**Daryl**

The Georgian sun was bright as it climbed up the pure blue morning sky. Fluffy white clouds moved across lazily. Occasional birds would fly across the scene, silhouetted black and beautiful in their natural gracefulness. Only the moaning and shuffling of the rotting undead disturbed the tranquility of the atmosphere.

Daryl and Merle were lugging a large piece of metal strung with barbed wire towards the gate protected by Carl. Michonne swirled around them, hacking and chopping with her sword at any walker that got within range. The large yard had been lost when the Governor had last attacked, his delivery truck destroying the outer fences and spewing walkers all over. Now ones from the forest had encroached in also.

"Hey, watch it!" Daryl bit out as Michonne's sword came dangerously close to his face.

Michonne glanced back as she rammed her sword through the forehead of another walker. "Sorry," she mumbled, spinning around to chop the head off another approaching walker. She was starting to get concerned about how many walkers were headed in their direction. They still had several yards to go before getting to the safety of the gate. "We need to pick up the pace."

"Shit!" Merle suddenly dropped his half of the barbed wire, the knife on his metal stump burying itself into the face of a walker that had been coming up fast behind him.

Daryl stumbled from the unexpected shift in the weight of the metal bar on his shoulder. It twisted and he felt the sharp barbed wire slice across his shoulder, going right through his shirt. He bit hard down on the scream of pain that welled up in his throat. He jumped back as the bar fell completely to the ground. Unfortunately, he didn't realize he was right at the edge of the pavement and his boot slipped on the crumbling concrete on the side.

The fall seemed to go in slow motion for him. There was nothing he could do to stop it. His body landed first and then the back of his head slammed hard against the roadway.

Everything went black.

**Prison**

"Daryl!" Merle shouted, running over to his fallen brother. "Come on, baby brother! Ya gotta get up!" Merle shook him frantically but then had to pivot around to kill another walker. Merle glanced at Michonne. "He's out and bleeding."

The two of them stood protectively over Daryl's prone body, fighting off walkers coming at them from every direction. "Carl!" Merle shouted towards the gate.

The boy had seen everything. "On it!" he shouted back, running to get anyone close that could help. In less than a minute, Rick and Glenn were through the gate, Carl closing it behind them but not locking it.

The two men got Daryl up, each one draping one of Daryl's arms over their shoulders. The way they carried him was strangely reminiscent of how Daryl was carried by Rick and Shane after being shot by Andrea. Michonne and Merle continued dispatching the walkers as they got him through the gate and into the prison.

"Herschel! Herschel!" Rick yelled as they dragged Daryl into the nearest empty cell, laying him as gently as they could on the bed.

Carol came rushing in, practically pushing Glenn out of the way. "What happened?"

Michonne told her, "We got overwhelmed by the walkers and he fell."

"He's bleeding all over the place! That didn't happen from a fall," she shot back. She was already pressing a cloth over the bleeding wound on his shoulder.

"Yeah, he also got cut by the barbed wire," Michonne simply stated.

Herschel came through the cell door. Beth was right behind him, carrying his medical kit. Nobody yelled for Herschel that way unless there was something wrong. Everyone but Carol, who was still holding pressure to the wound, backed out of his way.

"What have we got?" Herschel asked to no one in particular.

Michonne stepped up again, being much more talkative than normal. She felt somewhat guilty about what had happened, like she had not done her job to keep the walkers off the men while moving the barbed wire. "Daryl got cut by the barbed wire first across the shoulder. Then he fell backwards, hitting his head on the blacktop. It was a pretty loud crack."

"Sit him up. I need to see the back of his head." Glenn and Rick moved quickly to do it, grasping his arms. "Careful!" Herschel barked at them. "The man just suffered a traumatic head injury!" The two men slowed down a little, pulling him up gently so Herschel could examine him. "Oh yeah, he's got quite the contusion forming. I am sure he has a concussion but I am really concerned that he has not regained consciousness yet. Let me see the laceration."

They laid him back down slowly, placing a thick pillow under his bruised head. Carol lifted up the pressure cloth and some blood oozed out. Herschel looked at it thoroughly then said, "It is fairly deep but I don't see any major spurting. Luckily missed any major arteries. Also good that it's a straight cut. Should suture together well. Carol, I'd really like you to do it. You need the practice and Daryl isn't going to mind in his condition." Turning back to the 2 men, Herschel ordered them to lift him up again so they could get his shirt off.

Glenn gasped when they got a view of Daryl's torso. The man had been so vigilant about never exposing himself in front of others that most of them had no idea how littered with scars Daryl was.

Merle actually stepped up at that point and all eyes turned toward him. "Our daddy was a cruel man. Liked to discipline us with his fists and his belt, even if we didn't do nothing wrong. When I left for the Army, I never realized how much Daryl took from that asshole."

Glenn patted Merle's shoulder as he left the cell in sympathy. It was a big step on Glenn's part considering how much he hated Merle. It was also a big step for Merle to accept it. As Merle looked down at his brother, he felt this need to fix this rift he had with the group that was now caring for his injured brother. He just wasn't sure how to do it. As he turned to leave, he called back, "Holler for me when my baby brother comes around."

Herschel spoke up again. "Okay, everyone out but Carol." She was already getting the materials from his bag to clean the laceration as everyone left them to treating Daryl. Herschel went over again how to make the sutures evenly and strong with four throws each.

As she finished up the long, simple interrupted pattern, Herschel complimented her. "That looks fantastic Carol. We'll make a trauma doctor out of you one of these days." He smiled at her then looked sadly at Daryl. "I don't like that he is still out, even after the suturing. I was hoping the pain would rouse him. If he has a hematoma forming under the skull, I sure hope it resolves itself without causing brain damage. There is absolutely nothing we can do here to help him." He shook his head, standing. "You okay here with him for a little while?"

Carol nodded and Herschel left. She looked down at him, his features so relaxed in this forced sleep. With nobody else around, she did something she never normally would have done otherwise. She leaned down and pressed her lips against his, kissing him. Even with him non-responsive, it sent a thrill her and she suddenly felt dirty, invading his space like a molester.

"Well, I guess you're not Snow White and I'm not Prince Charming," she muttered.

**Daryl**

Daryl woke with a start. He was so disoriented for a minute that he had to close his eyes against the spinning colors bombarding his senses. Once he felt better, more steady, he opened his eyes and found himself in a very large room. Directly in his line of sight was a Greek-style statue of a woman blindfolded, holding up balanced scales. There were numerous people, some with obvious destinations as they moved along and some just milling about. Most of them seemed to be dressed nicely.

He found was sitting in a fairly uncomfortable chair and there was a man in a rumpled suit a few chairs down, reading a newspaper. Just across the room was a little coffee shop with a line of about 5 people in it.

At first he knew all of this was wrong. This wasn't where he was supposed to be, things weren't like this now. Then those disturbing thoughts seemed to fizzle and drift off in a haze. He remembered suddenly that he was at the courthouse. His dumbass brother Merle had been sentenced that day for drug possession and assault charges. After he'd been taken away to start his 18-month prison sentence, Daryl had sat down for a moment. Had he fallen asleep?

He looked around again, getting his bearings straight, trying to remember where he'd parked his truck. That's when he saw her. She was the last person in line at the coffee shop.

He knew her! Didn't he? What was her name? He felt like it was right on the tip of his tongue but the harder he tried to capture it, the further away it flew. She wasn't smiling right then, not knowing she had an audience. Her expression was thoughtful but he knew in his mind that he had seen her smiling before. How that smile brightened up her whole face. How beautiful she was.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was across the room, standing behind her in line. Ever so gently, his fingertips grazed her shoulder. She turned towards him, her thoughtful expression changing to one of confusion.

"I know you," he told her. That earned him a little smile and he smiled a little back.

"I didn't realize guys still used that pick-up line. But I guess the classic ones are still the best ones," she said.

Fear moved through him and he took an involuntary step back away from her. He'd never tried to pick a woman up before. Hell, he couldn't ever remember approaching a woman like this before. His insecurities were about to force him to run when she spoke up again.

"Oh, that's not what this was," she said as her expression turned concerned at the change on his face. "You actually recognize me from somewhere?" She seemed to study his face. "Are you a friend of Ed's?"

"Who's Ed?" he asked reflexively.

She frowned a little. "Hmmm, guess not." As if coming to a decision about something, the beautiful smile came back on her face and she stuck out her right hand to him. "I'm Carol."


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, thanks for the great response with the first chapter! Hope I can keep up with expectations.

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 2**

**Daryl**

He took her offered hand in his, her skin soft and sending a tingle through his arm. "Daryl," he responded. He held her hand a second longer than was probably appropriate before releasing it reluctantly.

That was when he noticed that her left arm was in a cast. The white plaster went from her mid-fingers almost up to the elbow. He frowned, nodding towards it. "What happened?"

Her eyes fell to the ground, her face embarrassed. She opened her mouth to speak and then she paused, closing her mouth. She looked up at him, a thoughtful expression on her face before she spoke again. Daryl realized that she was going to lie to him, make up an excuse for her injury. But then she had changed her mind.

"My abusive, soon-to-be ex-husband broke my wrist. Then he hit my daughter. That's why I'm here. I just started divorce proceedings and filed a restraining order against him. I'm actually waiting here for a police officer to escort me home so I can get our things out of there," she told him honestly.

Daryl wasn't quite sure what to say to that, whether he should express sympathy for her or call the guy an asshole. However, he was saved from that decision when the lady at the coffee counter alerted Carol that she was next. Carol ordered a small hot chocolate.

"You two together?" she asked.

"No," Carol said while Daryl said "Yes," at the same moment.

Carol looked back at him, quirking an eyebrow.

He smiled at her. "This one's on me. To celebrate your freedom from a shitty situation." Then he gave his order of a small regular coffee with 2 sugars to the lady.

"Thank you," she said softly to him. They each took their cups, sipping the hot liquids silently for a moment.

"Carol Peletier!" a male voice called across the room. They both looked over to see a uniformed police officer scanning the room. Daryl had that really weird sense of recognition again, although the feeling was not as pleasant as when he saw Carol.

"Here," called Carol. The cop swung towards them and Daryl could see his name badge read 'Walsh'. The man was handsome but had an arrogant expression on his face. His broad shoulders were reminiscent of a football player's. Despite the thick black hair, Daryl had this vision of the man with a shaved head. He shook his head, clearing the image as the cop approached them.

"You need assistance collecting your belongings from a house where there might be a domestic situation," he read off the paper in his hand. Then he looked at Carol, asking, "Do you think there is going to be a problem?"

Carol looked nervous. "I am really hoping he'll be at work but if he is home, he's going to be really pissed off."

"We'll take care of it, ma'am," he dismissed her worries. "Is this your address?" he pointed to the paper and she nodded. "I will meet you this residence now. If you arrive before me, do not enter. Okay?"

"Yes," she answered and he turned back to the front doors.

Seeing that she was getting ready to leave, Daryl had this sudden twisting in his gut at the thought that he might not ever see her again. He stepped a little closer to her as she watched the cop exit the building.

Having never asked a woman out before, he wasn't quite sure how to do it so he just seized on the first thing that popped into his head. "Maybe I could buy you another drink some time?"

She looked back at him, a bright smile on her lips. "Really? The abusive ex-husband and kid in tow didn't scare you off?" He shook his head. "Well, that earned you a phone number." She grabbed a pen and a napkin off the counter and jotted it down for him. "Hopefully I'll see you around."

He watched her until she got on the elevator to the parking garage, where she caught his eye and smiled at him again. He stood there, his heart thumping in his chest as he watched the doors close.

**Prison**

Carol sat by Daryl's bedside, holding his hand, willing him to wake up. As soon as she heard foot steps coming towards them, she pulled her hand away from his. It was just in time as Merle strolled into the cell.

He didn't acknowledge Carol as he stood over his brother's prone body on the bunk. Then he brought his boot up and kicked Daryl hard in the shin.

Carol jumped off the chair. "What the hell, Merle?" she shouted at him. She shoved her body between him and the bunk, getting him to back off.

"I just figured he was getting a little too comfortable sittin' with your pretty lil self next to him. He needed a bit o' pain to get him moving again." Merle glared at Daryl around her. "Didn't seem ta work," he grumbled.

"Here, come sit with him for a little while," she motioned towards the chair she had been sitting in. "Just don't try to throttle him awake!" she warned him as she turned to leave.

"Hey," he called out to stop her as he settled himself into the chair, a smirk on his lips. "Ya know he likes you, right?"

"Who? Daryl?" she asked, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"No, that dumbass Rick! Of course, Daryl. Don't play stupid with me, missy." Merle shot back at her.

"I should hope he likes me, that we're friends. We went through a lot this past year together and we do joke around some," she told him.

"That's not what I mean. I've seen how he looks at ya, especially when you don't know he's lookin'," he pointed at her.

Carol could feel a blush moving across her cheeks. She'd accepted a while ago that she was attracted to Daryl Dixon and it thrilled her that he'd become so much more comfortable around her. But to think that he might be attracted to her? That they could be something together? That was just setting herself up to hurt.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Merle," she said as she fled out of the cell. She could hear him chuckling to himself behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome to all the new followers! Everyone picked up that the cop was Shane, right? I figure that since this is all in Daryl's head, familiar people are bound to show up. Keep your eyes open! If anyone has any specific characters they want to make an appearance, let me know and I'll try to work them in.

Sorry if this chapter is boring! It is necessary to get closer to the good stuff.

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 3**

**Daryl**

Daryl slammed the phone down into the cradle. Again. He had started dialing Carol's number about 10 times but kept losing the nerve before finishing. Part of him wanted to just throw the phone across the room but a larger part wanted him to stop being such a fucking wimp and make the call.

At first he was using the excuse that he didn't really want to be dating a woman like her. Abused by her husband, who she actually had to get a restraining order against. She had a kid too. Not that he had any problems with kids. Most of the time, he found it easier to relate to them than other adults around him. But did he want to introduce one into his life?

Then came the self-doubts. What would a beautiful woman like her see in a loser like him? He was nothing special. He liked working for the landscaping company but the pay wasn't great and the hours were erratic, depending on the weather. The house he lived in was the same little, run-down place that his daddy had moved them after his mother had burned down the last house, along with herself. Now that Merle was gone, the place just seemed empty and sad.

Yet, the thought of not seeing her again put a knot of dread into his stomach. She was haunting his brain. He couldn't let her go.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he grabbed the phone and quickly dialed her entire phone number before he could chicken out again. He felt his whole body tense more and more with each ring. Then the line connected.

"Hello?"

"Hi…um, is this Carol?" he asked nervously, knowing his opening was awkward.

"Yes," she said in a sweet voice. "Is this Daryl?" He could hear the smile on her lips, which helped him relax a little.

"Yeah."

"I'm really glad you called," she was practically purring to him. "I figured you'd rethink it and run the other way considering how much baggage I'm coming with."

"Well, I still feel like I know ya from somewhere. Can't let someone I know go through all that stuff alone," he said, feeling a little more confident now that he was actually talking to her.

She laughed. "I'm positive I don't know you because I'd definitely remember you." She paused. "But I'd like to."

He felt a high at that statement. "How about that drink?"

"Sure. My daughter Sophia is going to be a friend's house working on a school project tonight. Or is this too soon?"

He jumped up. "Tonight's perfect. Where?"

"There's a coffee shop called Crimson Cup on Peachtree Street. Does 7pm work for you?" she asked.

"Hell yes," he answered.

**Prison**

Herschel peeled the bandage off of Daryl's lacerated shoulder. Daryl had been unconscious for over 8 hours now and it was getting late in the evening. Herschel and Beth were working on him before going to bed. Carol had sat with him for the entire day and Herschel had to practically order her to go to bed. Merle had volunteered to sleep on a mattress in the cell in case Daryl woke up or had any problems.

As Beth got some new bandage material ready, Herschel examined the old one closely. "I don't like the amount of blood-tinged fluid coming out of this."

"It's still bleeding?" Beth asked.

"No, the bleeding stopped awhile ago, right after Carol finished suturing it. This is more fluidy. Could be a sign of early infection. We got anymore antibiotics in that bag?" Herschel turned to her.

Beth handed him the new bandage and as he applied it, rummaged through the bag. "Hmm, I don't think so. Didn't we use the last of the oral antibiotics on Rick when he got stabbed by his friend that went crazy?"

"Don't say 'crazy', Beth. This world does horrible things to people and some cope better than others," he chastised her.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "That's what Carl told me."

"Hand me the thermometer," Herschel held out his hand and Beth complied. After a period of pressing it into Daryl's mouth, he held it up. "99.5 degrees. Not a real fever at this point but we are going to have to watch it like a hawk. I wish he would wake up though. It's making me more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

"Would we even be able to give oral antibiotics if he doesn't wake up?" Beth asked.

"No, we'd have to get IV antibiotics. We're going to need fluids for him too so he doesn't get dehydrated."

"What about Woodbury watching us?" Beth cringed.

"I don't know, Bethie," Herschel looked down at Daryl worriedly. "Rick is going to have some difficult decisions to make."

Merle appeared in the doorway, dragging a mattress. He waited for Herschel to hobble out on his crutches before pulling it along side Daryl's bunk. Beth was just getting everything back in the medical bag.

"What decisions?" he prodded her.

She looked up at him, not sure if he'd ever actually talked to her directly. Then she responded quietly, "We may need fluids and IV antibiotics if Daryl doesn't wake up soon."

"Why should that be Rick's decision?" He sounded pissed. "If it'll save my brother's life, I'll get those things for him. Go alone if I have ta. Not gonna let him die without tryin'."

Beth dropped her voice to a whisper. "I'm sure there are other people who would go with to save Daryl's life."

Merle smiled at her. "That's right, sweetheart. We gotta end this Ricktatorship." He glanced around the cell. "Where's Carol? I was hoping she'd want to stay and comfort me. I am so very worried about my baby brother."

"My dad made her go get some sleep," Beth lugged the bag towards the cell door.

"Why don't you stay and comfort ol' Merle then?" he grinned wickedly at her.

Beth just rolled her eyes and left the cell.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading, following and commenting! Love you all!

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 4**

**Daryl**

Daryl waited nervously outside the coffee shop. He was trying so hard not pace but he was fidgeting awfully. He was shoving his hands in his pockets then pulling them right back out. He'd lean against the wall the shove off it and stand, awkwardly tapping his food. He glanced down at his cheap watch.

7:04pm.

She was standing him up, he knew it. How could he have been so stupid to think she would ever be interested in a loser like him? How could he have put his guard down so completely? Did she think—

"Hey," he heard behind him. He spun around and there she was, looking beautiful and smiling at him.

"Hey," he said back, smiling and then opening the door for her.

They placed their orders, another hot chocolate for her and an iced coffee for him. With cups in hand, they found a secluded little table for two in the back.

"How'd the move out go? Was he there?" Daryl started.

"Thank god no! It was so nice not having him breathing down my neck while I was packing all our stuff up. He did show up just as we were getting ready to leave. I thought he was going to pop a blood vessel, he looked so mad. But that cop kept him in line and even followed me to my new apartment to make sure Ed didn't come also. I am just so glad that is over," she said, sighing happily.

"I can't figure out how someone like you would end up with a guy like that," Daryl commented.

She seemed hesitant to answer at first. Then, like when he asked about her broken wrist, it seemed like she decided to be completely honest with him. "He didn't start out that way. When we were first dating, he was very sweet, always paying attention to me, taking me out. He was handsome and all my friends were jealous of me. I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world on our wedding day." She paused and took a drink. Daryl waited for her to continue, drinking silently from his own cup.

"The first time he hit me was about 6 months after our wedding. I had noticed that he was drinking more. I made a comment and he slapped me right across the face. It hurt; I was stunned. Then he acted so sorry, bought me expensive jewelry and promised it would never happen again. I forgave him but then he hit me again a few weeks later. I think I shrank a few of his shirts in the wash or something stupid like that. He was real apologetic again but I'd decided that if it happened again, I was going to leave him.

"The third time happened about 2 months later. I burned his dinner and he had already been drinking before that. This time wasn't a slap either, it was a closed fist. Knocked me right to the floor. I ran upstairs and started throwing my clothes in a bag. I was going to get the hell out of there.

"I didn't realize he had followed me until he was right there, grabbing me. He was so mad. Said that if I ever left him, he would kill me. I saw it in his eyes, that he would really do it. Then he beat me so bad, I ended up in the hospital. I had to tell them I fell but they all knew I was lying.

"What hurt the most was when my parents came to see me. I told them everything. I thought they would help me, protect me. Now I was raised strict Catholic so I know that they felt divorce was a sin. But I thought that when they saw me, they would be on my side. How wrong I was," she snorted out a little angry laugh. "They told me it must have been my fault, that I was being a bad wife even to think about leaving my husband. They told me I had to go back to him and try harder not to make him angry."

"Yeah, your parents were about as good as mine," he muttered, giving her a little smile to encourage her. "What happened with your daughter?"

"When I got pregnant, I was afraid to tell him. His moods could change so fast. I didn't know if he would be happy or pissed off. When I finally did tell him, he surprised me. He was completely indifferent, like it didn't change anything for him at all. He never cared about her, usually just ignoring her unless she was doing something he didn't like. Then he'd blow up at her. I never really wanted to acknowledge it before but I know she's afraid of him even if he's only ever touched her the once." She stopped, looking down at her cup.

"What happened to finally take the risk to leave him?" he pressed her, not wanting to stop learning as much about her as he could.

"She opened a mouth to him. He was criticizing the dinner I cooked and she told him to try cooking for once instead of just complaining. See, she's twelve, almost thirteen years old. She's usually so quiet when he's around but when he's not, she has this strong, independent streak that comes out. It's funny because I feel like she gets it from him."

"I don't know about that," he told her. "It would take a strong, independent streak to get where you are now." He saw her blush a little at his words. "So she told him off and he didn't take it good?"

"No, he slapped her right across the face. Reminded me of the first time he ever hit me. It looked like he wasn't finished either, that was going to hit her again. I ran over and grabbed his arm so he turned on me. Crushed my wrist and threw me into a brick wall. I took Sophia with me and drove myself to the hospital. I called my parents while my cast was setting and told them I was leaving. Told them what he did to Sophia. Guilted them into giving me enough money for the first month on the apartment." She looked back down at her cup, almost empty. Daryl waited.

"They disowned me. Told me that was all I was getting from them. That I was one my own. That I should have tried harder." A couple tears leaked out of her eyes.

He couldn't stop himself. He reached over and wiped them away with his thumb.

She looked over at him, a teary smile pasted on her lips. "Sorry I'm such a downer. I shouldn't have laid all that on you." She put her face in her hands and laughed bitterly. "Don't they all say you should never talk about this kind of stuff on a first date. Would serve me right if you weren't interested in a second date."

"Stop. I wanted to hear it. Besides, it seemed like you really needed to unload it on someone," he told her reassuringly.

"Thanks." She downed the last of her drink then turned back to him. "That is so enough about me. What were you doing at the courthouse?"

"Had to go to the sentencing for my brother. He got 18-months in prison for drug possession and assault."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. That's awful. Are you going to miss him a lot?" she touched his hand and he liked it.

"Naw. Well, maybe occasionally. It's actually a pretty funny story," he offered.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "How is drug possession and assault funny?" she questioned.

"If you knew Merle, you'd be laughin'. So he's always been pretty messed up. I wish I could say it happened when he was in the military but he was like that before he shipped out. Got worse when he got back. A couple months ago, he got this big package of shit. I think it was mostly pot but maybe a little coke too. It's the middle of the night and he's walkin' down the street with the package when he sees a cop coming towards him. He panics and shoves the package down a mailbox. Figures he'd come back in the early morning, break into the mailbox and get his package back. Of course, he oversleeps because he's wasted and doesn't get back over there until almost 10am. So he's tryin' to get the lock open with a screwdriver when the he sees the mailman coming to empty the box. He quick hides, lets the guy open the box and then jumps him. Punched him in the face and grabbed the package. What he didn't know was that this mailman was a total jock. Guy outran him and pinned him to the ground while another guy called the cops."

"Wow. You know, they say you shouldn't mess with the mail," she said.

"Yeah, the only reason they didn't slap him with mail tampering was because the package actually had his name written on it. By law, it was his property," Daryl laughed and Carol joined him. It felt good to hear her laughing.

They talked for almost another hour about different things. Daryl couldn't believe how fast time was flying. He didn't think he'd ever talked to anyone this much in his entire life. There was such a feeling of comfort and familiarity with her and he didn't know where it had come from.

Carol glanced down at her watch and then jumped up. "Oh no! I'm going to be late picking up Sophia from her friend's house!"

Daryl got up with her. "Let me walk you to your car."

She was driving a black Toyota Corolla that looked like it had a few miles on it. Of course, it wasn't as bad as his '97 Ford pick-up. When she reached the driver's side door, she turned towards him. He wasn't sure what to do, if he should give her a good night kiss or just let it go.

He tensed up completely when she leaned towards him. She stopped then said, "Relax, I just want to thank you for a wonderful date." Then she kissed him chastely on the corner of his mouth. "There, torture over." She smiled and was about to turn back to the car when Daryl wrapped his fingers around her elbow to stop her.

"Can I give you a good-night kiss?" he asked her, his voice unsure of himself.

He saw her eyes widened slightly, her tongue flicked out unconsciously across her lips. She gave him a tiny nod.

Tilting his head down to hers, their lips pressed together. He had meant it to be a simple kiss but then somehow it deepened. He wasn't sure who did it but he didn't really care. It became passionate as he pressed her body against the car and her fingers ran through his hair. Then they jumped apart at the sound of a horn blaring down the street, each panting a little.

"You win; your kiss definitely beats mine," she giggled. "Now I must go get Sophia."

"When can I see you again?" he asked. "What are you doing Saturday?"

She looked a little disappointed. "Sophia's friend is going away so she'll be home all weekend."

Daryl shifted awkwardly. "Maybe I could meet her?"

"You want to meet her?"

"Yeah, why not? We could go to the zoo," he offered, get more into the idea as he thought about it. "We could just be friends there."

"Really? Okay. Let me ask Sophia and get back to you." She smiled again, pecked him on the cheek and climb in her car. She waved as she pulled out and Daryl felt this unbelievable happiness come over him.

**Prison**

Carol yelped as she fell, landing on top of a body on the floor. Her first thought was that it was a walker, which was a reflex now whenever she got scared. Her second thought was that Daryl had rolled out of bed. Then she heard the cursing.

"Damn it, woman! I thought you was a walker. I almost hit you in the head!" Merle huffed at her.

Carol swung her tiny flashlight into his face and he blinked, pushing it away. "What are you doing on the floor, Merle? I thought when you said you'd be sleeping in Daryl's cell that you be on the bunk above him."

"I don't like getting on the top bunk, not using just ma one hand. What are ya doin' in here in the middle of the night?"

"I couldn't sleep so I figured I'd check on Daryl, see if he was awake yet. I was going to try not to disturb you," she told him as she stood up and shined the light on Daryl. He was the same as before.

"Ya did a great job," he said sarcastically. Then a smirk covered his lips and he said, "I know you really just wanted to come down her and give me a little comfortin'. Ain't that right, pretty lady?"

Carol snorted. "Whatever." She touched Daryl's hand for a moment and then started to leave.

"Wait," Merle said, the playful tone gone. "You can sleep on the bunk if ya want. I promise I won't do nothing ungentlemanly. This way you can be closer if he does wake up."

Carol stared at him disbelieving for a moment. Then she climbed up on the bunk. "Thank you, Merle."


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading. I am sure you have noticed that time in Daryl's hallucination is moving much faster than in reality. That is part of the whole dream process. As for the zoo, I figure this would be the Atlanta zoo, which I have been too and is pretty awesome (not as awesome as the Philadelphia zoo but I am allowed hometown preference )

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 5**

**Daryl**

The weather was not as beautiful as it could have been with hazy clouds threatening the sky. It was not overly hot but it was kind of muggy. Luckily that meant that a lot of people decided to stay indoors and the zoo was kind of empty.

Daryl saw them waiting for him at the front gate as he walked from the parking lot. Carol looked incredible in a pair of tight jeans and a blue peasant blouse. There was a backpack thrown over the shoulders. She held the hand of the pretty blond girl standing next to her, talking to her softly. He couldn't hear the words but he thought they might have been reassuring as the girl looked nervous.

For a moment, a strange image flashed in his mind, stopping him in his tracks. The girl was wearing a blue shirt with a rainbow on it, different from the purple tank top she was now wearing. Her skin was grey, her eyes cloudy and sunken into her head. Her blond hair was matted down. There was a snarl on her lips and gaping wound on her neck. She looked like a monster.

Then it was gone, out of his head. Forgotten. A sense of uneasiness lingered but he registered it more as nerves with this first meeting with Carol's daughter. He wanted it to go well but he was so unsure how to act around her.

Carol saw him and waved, a bright smile on her lips. Sophia glanced over at him then looked back down at the ground.

"Hi," Carol said cheerfully. "We already got us some tickets and there don't seem to be a lot of people here." She turned to the little girl, who was looking painfully shy. Daryl emphasized with her. "Sophia, this is Daryl Dixon. He's my friend I was telling you about."

Her eyes came up to his and she looked just a little afraid of him. But then she stuck her hand out to him. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Dixon."

He shook her delicate hand lightly. "Call me Daryl."

Her eyes flicked back up to his and it looked like the fear was gone. The tiniest smile touched her lips. He gave her a little smile back.

They spent the morning exploring several of the different areas of the zoo. Daryl hadn't been to the zoo since he was a child. His mom had taken him about 2 years before she died and it was one of his most cherished memories. As much as he had wanted to go back again, he knew neither Merle nor his father would take him. Once he grew up, it seemed silly for him to go alone. Yet, now with Carol and Sophia, it was like he could re-immerse himself in that beloved memory.

It didn't too long for Sophia to forget her shyness. He could see her barriers starting to come down as they all laughed at the antics of the Golden Lion Tamarins running all around their open tree. She listened to him with genuine interest when he told her the story of the scientist that got eaten by a Komodo dragon as they looked at one sloughed in the corner of his enclosure. He even bought her a handful of pellets to feed the goats with at the petting zoo. Her smile was at full brightness as the goats crunched the pellets out of her hand. He thought she looked like Carol when she smiled like that.

It was at the tiger enclosure that Daryl truly felt that she accepted him. There wasn't anyone else there so the three of them got right up to the viewing glass. Carol and Daryl were on either side with Sophia in the middle. Suddenly, the one tiger that had been lounging on the grass jumped up and walked in their direction.

Sophia squealed, "He's coming this way!" Then she grabbed his hand in her excitement. It was only a little touch but it made his heart ache because it felt like she had accepted him.

After that they ate lunch at one of the picnic tables. Carol had brought sandwiches and chips along with bottled water. Since she didn't know what kind of sandwich he liked, she made both peanut butter and jelly and turkey with mayo. Daryl didn't have much preference, eating one of each.

They cleaned up and headed over to see the elephants. There were great bales of hay out and the elephants were munching away happily. As they came around the corner, Sophia spotted an ice cream cart.

"Ice cream!" she gasped. "Mom, can we _please_ get ice cream?"

Carol looked conflicted. "I don't know Sophia. We just ate lunch."

"But they come in cool animal shapes!" Sophia turned to Daryl. "What do you think?" she questioned him.

Daryl felt the pressure of being trapped between them. He'd didn't want to disagree with Carol. Yet, the day was supposed to be all about him getting to know Sophia. "I could go for ice cream."

Sophia looked back at her mom. "See, Daryl wants ice cream too."

Carol's eyes went from one of them to the other. Then she put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay," she said, trying to suppress a smile.

"Yes!" Sophia grabbed Daryl's hand and dragged him over to the cart while Carol stayed to watch the elephants.

"What kind do ya want?" Daryl asked her as he handed the money over to the man.

"I want to get a tiger. How about you?"

"Alligator. What do you think your mom wants?"

"Hmmm," she scanned the options. "Koala bear! They're cute and it's chocolate. She likes chocolate."

"I noticed," he mumbled as he took the ice cream back to her.

Carol thanked him and they all dug into their cold treats. Daryl couldn't help getting kind of turned on watching Carol licking the ice cream over and over. He had to keep diverting his eyes back to the meerkats.

As they were moving back towards the front gate, Daryl and Sophia had seat on a bench waiting for Carol in the bathroom. Daryl was very happy with how the day went and he was lost in his thoughts when Sophia leaning over towards him.

"You should hold her hand."

His eyes whipped over to her. "W-what?"

"You like her, right?" she pressed.

Daryl felt like a caged animal and wanted to bolt but he held it together. "Ah, we're just friends."

"That's bullshit." Daryl's eyebrows shot up at her curse. "My asshole father would never let her have any friends, especially not a guy. So that means you are either a very old friend I have never heard of or you have an interest in her. Am I right?"

Daryl just stared at her. He could help thinking that Carol really had no idea how big that strong, independent streak really was in her daughter.

Sophia's voice softened. "She likes you. I can tell. She was nervous this morning. A happy nervous. She changed her shirt like four times."

Daryl gulped. "Really?"

"Yeah. So you should totally hold her hand."

Daryl, a man who had never held a woman's hand other than his mother's when he was a tiny kid, seriously considered it.

**Prison**

Carol ran her hand across Daryl's forehead and frowned. He felt warm, warmer than he should. She got the thermometer out of the medical bag and put it in Daryl's mouth. While the time clicked by, she checked his shoulder wound. It looked a lot redder than it did just yesterday.

The thermometer was done.

101.3 degrees.

She cursed. This was bad. Daryl had a fever, his wound was getting infected and he was still unconscious. They had no antibiotics or fluids or any way to check to see what was going on inside his head. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, feeling the hot skin against her lips.

"Daryl," she whispered. "Come back to us."


	6. Chapter 6

Warning: This chapter contains SMUT!

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 6**

**Daryl**

The next day was absolutely beautiful. It was one of those days where Daryl loved working for the landscaping company. He could be outside, enjoying nature and still making money.

Daryl dragged several large branches across the yard, throwing them in the truck. They were taking down a bunch of dead trees on this property as well as cleaning up a lot of dead wood and brush. Usually they started in the early morning and quit mid-afternoon if the day gets very hot or muggy. It was getting near to the end of the day and the men were all hot and tired. There was still work to be done though so they be back again tomorrow morning.

Caesar Martinez, his co-worker, came up behind him, smacking him hard on the back with a dead branch. Some of the dead leaves stuck in his hair.

"Watch it, dumbass!" Daryl spat him.

Martinez just giggled at his own prank. "Sorry, dude. Didn't see you there. Tell you what, I'll buy you a beer over at the bar to make up for it."

Daryl swiped a few more of the dead leaves out his hair. "Can't. Got plans."

"You? Plans? Thought your brother was locked up?" Martinez looked skeptical. Usually Daryl would go along when some of the guys would head out for a drink, especially when his brother wasn't around.

"Yeah, he is," Daryl muttered, starting to get uncomfortable with this conversation.

"What? You got a date or something?" Martinez laughed. Daryl didn't answer, trying to turn away but Martinez wouldn't let it go. "You _do _have a date!"

That was when Jamal, who had been standing on the other side of the truck loading equipment, piped in. "Man, we weren't even sure you liked chicks. She hot?"

Daryl could feel his face getting hot. "Yeah," he mumbled. He thought back to the weekend with her wearing the peasant blouse.

"First date?" Martinez prodded.

"Naw. Had coffee the first time then went to the zoo with her and her kid Saturday," Daryl walked around to the other side of the truck to start putting away the ladders but the two men followed, too engrossed in the conversation to stop questioning him.

"She got a kid? That sucks. They're not usually as hot with a kid," Jamal stated.

"Fuck that!" Martinez turned on the young black man. "My wife is just as smokin' hot as she was before she had our kid!"

"Yeah, you're wife is pretty hot," Jamal relented but did not look completely convinced. Then he looked at Daryl. "Third date. Ya know what that means. Gonna get some action, right?"

Daryl could feel his face flaming red with that comment. "Shut up," he muttered as he climbed in the truck, slamming the door in the men's faces.

**Prison**

Lunch time at the prison usually saw most of them scattered, each doing what they could to prepare for Woodbury. They'd grab food as it came. Not today though. Carl was on watch duty but everyone else was gathered in the main area outside the cells. Beth was walking around, handing out sandwiches. Peanut butter was one of the few foods they still had left.

Merle had pulled the chair that was next to Daryl's bunk out to sit in the doorway. Carol leaned against the wall just next to the cell. Glenn and Maggie sat halfway up the stairs with Herschel a few steps below them. Beth joined him after everyone got a sandwich. Michonne was on the other side of the room, nearest the door out. Rick stood in the middle, getting ready to address them.

"I know I have heard some people talking about going out on a run. I know we need medicine for Daryl and food is running low," he paused, his eyes surveying the group. "But Woodbury is watching us. Looking for any opportunity for us to show weakness. Having people leave now would be a show of weakness to them. It could make them strike at us all the sooner."

Merle stood up, his face angry. "So yur just gonna let my brother die and the rest of us starve ta death? Yur a real motherf—"

Rick put up his hand, cutting Merle off. "I didn't say we weren't going to do it," he hissed. "I just wanted you all to know the risk involved with it. Whoever goes out there could be followed and killed. On the other side, whoever stays here risks getting caught in an invasion."

Merle sat back down. "Yeah, both options suck."

Herschel then cleared his throat and all eyes turned to him. "There is a small animal veterinary clinic about 12 miles northeast of here. Y'all know I was a farm animal vet and I used to send any of my clients' dogs and cats up to this place. I remember them being well stocked so as long as they weren't already cleaned out, we'd be able to get IV fluids, catheters and medications for Daryl. Wouldn't hurt to stock up on whatever else we can get our hands on. I can make a list of what we definitely need. Also, if my memory serves correctly, there was a Super Walmart with a grocery section on the way there."

"Now we're talkin', Doc!" Merle said happily, getting up again. "I'll go get my stuff."

"Hold it, Merle," Rick stopped him. "We need you to stay here." Merle was about to his mouth to protest but Rick continued. "You have to stay in case Daryl wakes up. There is a chance he could have memory loss from the head injury. You might be the only person he recognizes. Also, if you leave and anyone from Woodbury sees you, I am pretty sure they'll go after that group just to take you down. Same thing with Michonne."

Merle actually could not argue with that statement. "So whose goin'?"

"It'll be Glenn, Maggie and myself," Rick said, his eyes straying to the couple on the stairs. They nodded back at him. "We plan to try to sneak out at night. Might take a couple days to get what we need but we won't come back empty-handed."

**Daryl**

After work, Daryl had showered thoroughly and changed into the best outfit he owned. It was a collared blue short and khaki pants. He had not admit that he was a little nervous as he drove over to her apartment. This would be his first time with her not in a public place. After all the jokes at his expense at work, he couldn't help thinking about what might happen.

Saying that he was not very experienced with women was an understatement. He'd never actually had sex sober and the few times had been with nameless women, either in a bar bathroom or a backseat. It had been several years since even that had happened.

He pulled into the apartment parking lot of the address Carol had given him. The place looked run-down, like it hadn't been maintained well since it was built in the 70's. Although, it wasn't any worse than his house. He knew Carol only had that little bit of money from her parents and couldn't get any money from her ex until the divorce was settled. She'd told him that she was going on job interviews as much as she could but companies didn't seem to like that she had been just a housewife for the last 14 years.

As he walked up to her door, he nervously fingered the flower he was holding. Martinez had felt bad after making fun of him and clipped off one of the large pink blooms from the rose bush growing along side the storage building. He wasn't sure if he felt stupid carrying it or proud that he had someone to bring a flower to. He knocked lightly on the door.

Carol opened the door and he was almost knocked over by how gorgeous she looked. She was wearing a sun dress, which was sleeveless and had splashes of yellow and red on a cream-colored background. It ended right above her knees. She had long silver earrings that, with her short hair, accentuated her sensual neck. Her feet were bare.

"Hi," she said, almost shyly.

Daryl couldn't seem to find words so he just shoved the flower at her, trying not to cut himself on the thorns.

Her eyes lit up. "That was so sweet of you! Thank you," she said as she took it carefully from him. She backed up, motioning for him to come in and then she closed the door behind him. "I have to see if there is a bud vase around here somewhere. I got the place furnished because I couldn't take any of my furniture from the house. Make yourself comfortable," she indicated the sofa as she went into the kitchen. She came out with the pretty rose in a tall water glass and put it on the dining room table. "Beautiful."

Daryl hadn't actually moved from his spot by the front door. The place did look shabby, the furniture garage sale-chic. It looked like she had tried to dress it up with throw pills and candles burning.

"Is Sophia here?" he asked, hating how his voice cracked. She noticed too.

"Nope, she's back at her friend's house working on that school project. She won't tell me what it is until it's all finished. Wants it to be a surprise. I'm picking her up later. She did recommend a movie for us to watch, if that's okay with you?" she said, taking his hand and moving him towards the sofa. "It's Hunger Games. She saw it with her friends but I haven't seen it. Have you?"

"No," Daryl said, not wanting to admit that he had not actually been to the movies since he was a teenager. He had heard some of his co-workers talking about it, that it was a kick-ass movie if it was technically for kids.

They sat down on the sofa and she sat turned towards him, her bare knee just touching his. He was tense and he willed himself to relax a tiny bit.

"I was going to cook for us but the cookware here is just disgusting. As soon as I get a job, that is the first thing I am buying. Is it okay if we order pizza? There is also a Chinese place that delivers." Her hand softly touched his knee and he tensed up again.

"Pizza's good," he managed to get out.

She got up to get the phone and he felt like he could breathe again. Yet, he missed her touch on his knee. They debated briefly about toppings since she did not like pepperoni or sausage and he didn't like anything green on his pizza. They settled on bacon and mushrooms and she made the call.

"Twenty-five minutes, they said," she reported as she sat back down on the sofa next to him. "Do you want to start the movie while we're waiting?"

For the first few minutes, he had a hard time concentrating on the movie because he had some much awareness of Carol's body so close to him. Then he found himself starting to really enjoy the movie. The girl was a hunter, like him, and she was really good with a bow. Both of them became completely engrossed in the movie.

"Ding-dong!"

Both of them jumped at the sound of the doorbell. Carol fumbled with the remote, pausing the movie.

"I got this one," Daryl told her, pulling cash out of his wallet. He opened the door and the pizza guy handed him the pizza, which he then handed back to Carol.

"$14.50," the kid told him. As he handed him the money, Daryl suddenly got hit with the sense of déjà vu again. It was a better feeling with the cop, like they'd been friends. The guy was Asian with a slight build and dark hair covered with the pizza place's hat. "Thanks for the tip," he said and turned to leave.

"Do I know you?" Daryl could not help but ask.

The Asian guy looked closely at him but there was no recognition in his face. "Sorry, I don't think so. I've got one of those faces though. People keep thinking I'm Jet Li," he laughed and then ran back to his car.

Daryl closed the door. Carol had paper plates and napkins out.

"Mind if we eat in front of the TV? I'm kinda into this movie," she explained.

"Sure," he said, grabbing a couple slices.

They finished eating and settled back into the sofa. At one point, Carol looked over at him and touched his hand.

"You can put your arm around me, if you want."

The tension came back full force but he nodded. He really wanted to. His arm went around her shoulders and she snuggled in close to his body. Her left hand went to his thigh. He sat there, stiff as a board until something clicked in his brain. He grabbed her left hand.

"What happened to your cast?" He could see how the skin was paler than further up her arm, how her muscles were just slightly wasted from the time under pressure.

"I was wondering when you'd noticed. Got it off this morning," she twirled her wrist around in the air. "It feels so good to have my arm back!" Then she put her hand fully on his thigh, even further up than before.

While her attention turned back to the movie, he felt like her hand was burning through his pants. He had to force himself to focus on the movie in front of him or else he knew things might get embarrassing for him down below. Yet, as the movie ended, she shifted, pressing firmer down on his thigh. He knew he was doomed.

Her big, blue eyes caught his and they seemed to be expecting him to do something. He felt frozen but then he leaned towards her, almost against his free will. His lips captured hers and her body seemed to melt into his as they kissed.

She licked and sucked at his lips and it felt so good. He made a little whimpering noise, which he instantly hated but she seemed to take it as encouragement. Her one hand cupped his neck while the other ran through his hair. He made the bold move of pushing his tongue between her lips, exploring her mouth. It was her time to make noise, a quiet moan.

His one hand rested on her hip while the other ghosted over her breast. He could feel himself getting hard, feel the throbbing in his pants. However, he wanted to hold himself together for her. He didn't want to push her into a just a quick fuck. She was so much better than that.

Or so he thought as her hand slowly moved off his neck and down his chest. It rested there and he turned his attention to her neck. His tongue caressed her and he breathed in her sweet scent. Then her hand moved further down across his abdomen and before he knew it, she'd opened his pants button.

He stopped and grabbed her wrist. "What're ya doin'?"

"Relax. I just want to make you feel good," she purred at him. Then she had her wrist out of his grasp and his pants were open. He moaned as she reached in and pulled all of him out. As her fingers closed around his shaft, his head rolled back against the pillows. Her thumb swirled around the tip and he couldn't help it when his hips bucked up. She smiled at that.

"Carol," he moaned and then she kissed him again, her hand never leaving him. In fact, her hand started moving, slow at first but then faster. The friction was incredible. He might have been embarrassed by the involuntary movement of his hips thrusting himself in her hand but there wasn't enough blood left above the belt and his brain was overwhelmed with the amazing sensations.

He could feel his body tensing and he knew the end was coming soon. Then she did something he had never expected. She brought her head down and took him in her mouth. He'd never had a woman go down on him before and the feel of her warm, wet mouth, the very gentlest scrape of her teeth against his sensitive skin, was enough to throw him over the edge.

He came forcefully. A short cry passed his lips as the intense wave of pleasure hit him. Then he just sat there stunned, staring at the point where the wall met the ceiling. Carol tenderly put him back in his pants and closed them up. Then she kissed him sweetly on the cheek and cuddled up against him.

He couldn't move. He'd never felt something like that before with a woman. He was completely in love with her. Even though he suspected those feelings before, this reinforced them. Could you fall in love with someone so quickly? No, he'd know her before, he was sure of it. How else would be so comfortable with her? It was just, where did her know her?

She sat up after a few minutes and his eyes finally shifted to her, coming out of his daze. She looked down at her watch and frowned.

"I've got to go pick up Sophia. I get the evil eye from her friend's parents when I come to late," she explained apologetically.

"Wait, what about you?" he asked, not wanting to believe the night was over.

She looked at him confused, like she didn't understand what he was talking about. Then understanding dawned on her, quickly followed by the cutest smile he had ever seen as she realized that he wanted her to have the same pleasure she had just given him. He felt a miniscule flash of anger when he realized that her ex-husband had probably never cared enough for her to want that.

Her hand rubbed against his cheek affectionately. "We'll worry about me next time, okay?"

He nodded. "When can I see you again? Tomorrow?"

She shook her head. "I have a job interview. Second one so I am really hoping they will offer me the job. It's as a receptionist at a research company. I've got to figure out if Sophia can get a ride home with one of her friends."

Before he thought about it, he offered, "Why don't I pick up Sophia, bring her back here and then we can all go out to dinner together?"

"Really? You'd do that? I don't want to inconvenience you."

"No problem. I like Sophia and then I can see you again."

"You're on," she told him and kissed him again on the mouth.


	7. Chapter 7

So glad everyone liked the last chapter! Every comment, new follower or favoriting makes me feel so good.

I do not own The Walking Dead but I love those that do!

**Chapter 7**

**Prison**

Carol walked back into Daryl's cell, a fresh bucket of water dangling from her hand. Daryl's temperature had spiked up to 102 degrees and Carol was doing all she could to bring it down. There were no ice packs so she kept getting cold water from the well. She laid wet cloths on his forehead, arms and bare feet and would refresh them often.

She set the bucket down by the chair and surveyed his condition. That was when she realized his eyes were open and he was watching her.

Her heart soared as she went to him. "Daryl, you're awake!" she cried happily. She pulled the cloth off his forehead and replaced it with her hand. He was still really hot, feverish. His eyes were red-rimmed.

She was so happy that he was awake. Didn't this mean he was getting better, despite the continued fever? That would get better too as soon as Rick's group got back with the antibiotics. She was sure of it.

Daryl's lips quirked up in a smile at her. She couldn't help herself as her hand moved down his face, cupping his cheek. Her heart was so light that she almost leaned down to kiss his lips. Then she saw his eyes focus on something over her shoulder. His mouth turned down in a frown.

She thought it was Merle, probably doing something rude behind her. However, when she glanced back, it wasn't Merle. It was a walker.

Jumping up with a yelp, Carol saw the walker focus his attention right on her. It was coming fast. Wearing a tattered blue jumpsuit, it must have been one of the prisoners. In the close quarters of the cell, it reached for her and she backed up against the wall, almost tripping on the chair. Using all her strength, she brought her leg up and kicked the rotting thing backwards. It stumbled but caught itself. It was enough time for her to get her knife off her belt and ram it in through the skull.

"Merle!" she screamed. How the hell were they getting in? "Merle!"

She saw another one coming around the corner, a small woman dragging one of its broken legs. Slowed it down some. Enough for her to quick look at Daryl. Her stomach clenched when she saw he had slipped back into unconsciousness.

**Daryl**

Daryl woke in his bed, a scream on his lips. He was sweating and tangled in his bed sheets. He'd just had one of the worst nightmares he could remember.

He'd been in some kind of small, dark room. Almost felt like a jail cell. He was so weak, he couldn't move. Things around him seemed kind of hazy. Then Carol walked in the room and he was so glad to see her. She looked tired and her clothes were worn but she was as beautiful as ever. He could feel her hands on his face.

Then he saw the monster behind her and his blood ran cold. The thing must have once been a man but now it was a zombie. There was a huge gaping hole in its neck with clotted blood hanging from it. Its skin was grey and as soon as Carol turned towards it, it reached its rotting hands out for her. He wanted to push her away, protect her from it as it came at her but he still couldn't move.

It had backed her against the wall when she kicked out at it. Then she had a knife in her hand and had plunged it through the zombie's head. He heard her scream for Merle, which was so odd to him since Carol didn't even know Merle. She'd never meet him. It was the kind of thing that would show up in a dream. Then he woke up in his bed.

He laid there for a minute, processing it. Then he knew it was just a nightmare and he had to get up for work. Thinking back to last night with Carol was enough to push the frightening images out of his head as he dressed for work.

Of course he had to deal with all the razzing he got at work from his co-workers about his date the night before. Daryl didn't say a word about it but they could tell what went on from the color of his face. Martinez kept joking that if Daryl actually had found a woman who would put out for him, he should put a ring on her finger quick before she realized who she was sleeping with. Daryl brushed him off but in reality, it put the thought in his mind that marriage might not just be for losers trying to screw a pretty girl like he'd always assumed.

After work, he ran home to shower and change out of his sweaty, dirt-covered clothes. Then he drove over to Sophia's middle school. She was in seventh grade and school let out about 2:45pm. He pulled up a couple minutes early, easing his truck in the line of other cars waiting to pick-up kids. He hoped she wouldn't be embarrassed getting into his banged-up old truck.

When the bell rang, kids just came streaming out of every exit. They all looked so young to him. He scanned the crowd, looking for Sophia. He spotted her coming out a nearby door. She was walking with a boy and they were obviously having a conversation, although he could not hear it. As they got closer, Daryl kept staring at the boy.

Again, he knew this kid. The boy was shorter than Sophia by a few inches. His hair was light brown and he had fair skin. Strangely, he was wearing a hat. It was brown with a broad rim and a gold tassel in front. Made Daryl think of a state trooper's hat. Even more strange was that it seemed like it belonged on the kid's head.

Sophia patted his shoulder as she said good-bye and then waved as she jogged over to Daryl's truck. She wrenched open the door and climbed right in with no hesitation. Her mom must have accurately described his ride.

"Hi Daryl! Thanks so much for picking me up! Carl's got to go visit his grandparents tonight so we couldn't work on our science project together," she said as she swung her backpack on top of her legs.

"Carl?" The name sounded right to him. "You two spend a lot of time together, huh?"

"Shut up, he's just my friend." Then her voice got very quiet before he heard her mumble, "One of my only ones."

She was quiet for a few minutes as he drove towards her apartment.

"Hey Daryl, can I tell you something? Something I don't want my mom to find out?" she asked him.

Daryl hoped desperately it wasn't about boys or sex. He had been doing a lot of things outside his comfort range lately but that conversation would have been on the other side of the planet from his comfort range. All he could do was nod at her and hope not.

"I think my dad has been following me and my mom. Sometimes I will see his car in totally random places, including the apartment parking lot. I know he's not supposed to get close to us but I think he might be breaking that rule," she told him.

Daryl's heart rate speed up at the thought of Carol's abusive ex-husband stalking her and Sophia. He changed his mind, he'd rather talk about boys and sex than find this out.

"You sure about that?" he questioned her, want her to be absolutely sure about something this important.

"Yep. His car has a chip in the paint on the back bumper so I know it's his car. Can I tell you something else?"

Daryl nodded again.

"I hate my dad. He doesn't love me and I'm fine with that. But I hate what he did to my mom. She tried to hide it from me but I could hear them when he hurt her. When I was younger, my dad always ignored me except when I was bad. But just a few months before mom left, he started looking at me different. Like he was hungry and I was a piece of meat. Like he wanted to eat me. It really scared me."

Daryl could feel the rage whelming up inside him at her words. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel hard, trying to control his temper. He knew what that look meant. Her daddy was a sick bastard. In combination with the fact that he might be stalking them, this was real danger.

Wrenching the wheel to the side of the road, Daryl threw the truck into park. Sophia looked surprised.

"Did yur mom give ya a cell phone?" he asked her.

She dug in her backpack, pulling out a basic slim phone and handing it to him. He took and programmed in his number.

"You see him anywhere near you or your mom, you call me. I'll come," he told her.

"Thanks Daryl. I trust you."

He wasn't sure what to make of that but he liked it.


	8. Chapter 8

Warning: This is another smut chapter. Time to seal the deal on this relationship!

I do not own The Walking Dead but I love those that do!

**Chapter 8**

**Daryl**

Bright flashes of lightening flashed through the sky as a loud clap of thunder woke him from sleep. Daryl glanced at his alarm clock and saw it was only eight minutes from going off. Rain pelted against his window, hard and driving. There would be no landscaping today. He switched off the alarm and went back to sleep.

A couple hours later he crawled out of bed feeling nicely rested. After showering, he threw on an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Then he called into work to get an update. Apparently, the bad weather was supposed to continue through tomorrow. He'd be forced to take today off, which meant no pay as he worked hourly. However, they did offer for him to come in tomorrow and help with sorting and loading of supplies in the warehouse. Not wanting to lose out on two days of work, he accepted it.

As he put the phone down, it surprised him when it started ringing again. At first he thought it might have been his boss calling back with a change of plans but then he grinned when he saw the number was Carol's.

"Hey," he answered, pleased.

"Hey yourself," she said. "Got some good news."

"Yeah? Let's hear it," he prompted her.

"I got the job!" she exclaimed joyfully.

"That is fuckin' awesome! Ya deserve it," he told her honestly. "Startin' today?"

"Nope, starting tomorrow. What do you say we celebrate today?"

"I'll be right over," he said and was about to hang up the phone when he heard her voice yell for him to wait. He brought the phone back to his ear.

"I'm kind of already in your driveway," she informed him and he could hear a touch of shyness in her voice. It was like she wasn't quite sure how he would react to that news.

"Then you'd better get yur ass in here," he said and hung up the phone. He went over to the front door and threw it open just in time to see her jog toward him in the pouring rain.

"Carol, you ain't got a raincoat or something? It's pourin' out there!" he said as he grabbed a towel from the nearby closet. He gently started wiping her dripping face.

"Forgot it when I moved out."

"Yur soaking wet." He ran the towel over her sodden hair.

"Then you'd better get me out of these wet clothes," she whispered huskily in his ear.

He froze, taken off guard for a second by her matter-of-fact statement. Then a wicked grin spread across his face as she looked up at him with her impossibly blue eyes. They were filled with desire for him. God, how he loved this woman.

His fingers went to her shirt and started unbuttoning it, his fumbling fingers having a hard time with each little button. She didn't move, watching him patiently as he slipped the cloth off her shoulders. Her bra was a simple white one with just a little lace around the edges. Then his fingers moved to the button of her jeans. He pulled her a little closer to him as he undid it, sliding the zipper down easily. He stepped closer to her, nearly touching her as he slid the pants down her legs. Only briefly did she break eye contact with him to step out of them. Her underwear was bikini briefs with tiny flowers on them.

He couldn't wait any longer and kissed her, pouring all his emotions for her into it. Her mouth opened readily for him, inviting his tongue to explore her. His arms wrapped firmly around her waist, pulling her body flush with his. Her arms twined around his neck. Her teeth gently caught his bottom lip, sucking on it sensually.

Down her neck his lips traveled, licking and nipping her sensitive skin. She licked his ear then blew in her hot breath, making him shiver with want. His hands went to the back of her bra and he struggled with the clasp. Before he could get too frustrated with it, her fingers came up and unhooked it deftly, whipping the material away across the room.

He could not help but to stare at her exposed to him. Her breasts were smallish but the perfect proportion for her body. His hands came up tentatively, just ghosting over her, not wanting to ruin her perfection. Sensing his hesitation, she guided his hand to her breast to encourage him. It was all he needed as he brought his other hand to her other breast, cupping both of them and rolling her hard nipples with his thumbs. Her eyes closed and she moaned, which was a sound he discovered was a real turn-on. He could feel himself hardening with that sound.

She half yelped, half giggled as he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the sofa in the next room. His bedroom on the other side of the house just seemed so far away. He tenderly laid her down on the worn cushions then quickly toed off his boots and shrugged out of his clothes.

He kneeled down on the floor next to her. He wanted to taste all of her, starting at her neck. His kisses trailed down her chest, his mouth taking in first one breast and then the other. This brought on more moaning and a little squirming, so he put his hand on her stomach to hold her down while his tongue wrapped around her nipple. Then his lips traced down her abdomen, stopping briefly at her cute little belly button, which made her giggle and squirm some more.

When he reached the band of her underwear, he hooked his finger under it, dragging it down her legs and tossing it away. He brought his head back up to hers, kissing her passionately on the lips. While she was distracted there, he pushed his finger down into her folds. She gasped with surprise against his mouth and again more forcefully when his fingertip found her most sensitive center. He tested her by rubbing her up and down. She cried out, her hips bucking. Yep, that was the spot.

Pulling his hand out, he went down to the end of the sofa, pushing her legs apart and settling his body half on and half off the cushion. He blew into the hair above her center and she shivered. Then she tensed up.

"W-What are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"Relax. I just want to make you feel good," he said, mimicking her exact words from the other night.

Unlike him, she put up some resistance. "You don't have to do that. I know guys don't like doing that. It's okay." She seemed embarrassed.

He'd never gone down on a woman before and prior to this, he didn't like the idea of it. Didn't seem like he'd get any benefit from it. Yet, with Carol, he truly did want to taste all of her. Just the thought of it made him harder, his body throbbing.

"Shhh," he blew on her again and placed little kisses on her inner thighs. "I just need to taste you."

His tongue glided over the outer folds and she was so sweet. He could feel her tense again. Wrapping his arms around her thighs to keep her legs open, she stilled and he felt her relax a minuscule amount. He went deep with his tongue, seeking out the magic center. He knew when he found it because her hips bucked again but he controlled her movement with his arms. His focus was devoted to that spot, his tongue running over it and curling around it. Her movements became jerkier, her breathing changed into panting. She was close and he picked up the pace with his tongue, flicking it over her. He felt her entire body clench up and she screamed. He could almost see the waves of ecstasy crashing over her.

He released her thighs and sat back as she came down from the orgasm.

"Oh my god, I have never felt it like that before," she panted out. "That was amazing." Then she looked at him, her face almost serious. "Daryl, I need you. I need you inside me. Now." She was demanding it.

He brought himself over her, settling his body between her spread legs. Her eyes were closed, bottom lip caught between her teeth in anticipation, her chest heaving. He just gazed down at her for a minute, seeing her completely open to him. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Her eyes opened and stared into his. The slightest nod of her head moved him forward, pushing his hardness inside of her. He had to go slow, feeling her body adjust to taking him in. She was so tight but wet with incredible heat. If he went to fast, he knew he'd lose control. He had sunk almost all the way into her when her legs wrapped around his waist pulling him further in. A moan escaped his own lips, her name on it.

If he thought her hand and mouth were unbelievable, this was heaven. He almost wanted to cry with the sheer pleasure of it. Then he started to move, slow and shuddering at first before he could get the rhythm right. He put his forehead on her shoulder as he thrust into her, his breath hot against her chest. He could feel her lips and her teeth graze his shoulder and it drove him to pound into her harder.

She started whimpering and he could feel his muscles tensing as he got closer and closer to the edge. Then her inner muscles clenched around him as she cried out again and he fell over the edge. He spilled his hot seed into her, her body so tight around him.

He collapsed on top of her, again stunned at the sensations he'd just felt. All he wanted to do was hold her, feel her breathing slowing to normal against him.

"I love you," he whispered it so softly he wasn't sure she would hear it. He'd never said those words to anyone and he hadn't actually meant them to come out now but he knew they were true as soon as they slipped past his lips.

"I love you too," she whispered back just as softly.

**Prison**

Merle and Herschel sat together in Daryl's cell, chatting quietly late into the night. Herschel had forced Carol to go sleep in her own cell, although he knew that she would probably sneak back into Daryl's cell before the night was over. The woman was exhausted from the long hours of staying with Daryl while also taking watch duty and preparing meals.

"So ya think they'll be back by tomorrow?" Merle questioned him.

"Depends on what kind of trouble they run into out there. The vet hospital is in a fairly rural area so as long as they don't hit any herds, that should be okay. I worry more about the Walmart. I bet a lot of people went there to stock up," Herschel commented.

They both sat in silence for a minute, contemplating the difficulties those on the run were facing.

"Carol…"

Both of them jumped and stared at Daryl.

"He wakin' up? Should I go get her?" Merle asked anxiously.

Herschel leaned down and picked up each of Daryl's eyelids. "Nope, he's still out. Good sign though, with him talking in his sleep. Means some areas of the brain are still working normally. Probably just dreaming."

"Whoo boy! That must be some nice dream!" Merle hooted, glancing at the bulge growing under Daryl's blanket at his mid-section. Daryl moaned again, non-coherently this time. "Oh man, he's getting more action in his head than I've gotten since the world went to shit."

Herschel pushed Merle hard on the shoulder and then placed another blanket over Daryl's mid-section. "Leave the boy with some dignity." Then he turned on Merle. "And not a word of this to Carol, ya hear! Poor woman would probably die of embarrassment."

Merle had an evil smirk on his face. "Sure thing, Doc. Not a word."


	9. Chapter 9

Glad everyone liked the last chapter! I love Merle, he's such a great character to write for.

I do have to say that I have come to the conclusion that I can't read and write fan fiction at the same time. It messes things up in my head. Too many storylines floating around. Anyway, I am going to continue writing this story for as long as it goes. Once it is finished, I shall go back to all the lovely fan fics I was reading before. Got them all bookmarked and looking forward to them during the long, dark days before season 4 starts.

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 9**

**Prison**

Carol woke up in her own cell, surprised to find that the sun was already up. For the past two nights, she had gotten up in the middle of the night and gone down to Daryl's cell. She kept thinking that he'd wake up when she wasn't there and be well on his way back to normal by the time she saw him. However, after two and a half days, she was starting to lose a little hope. This morning she tried not to get her hopes up too high as she headed towards his cell.

Merle was already up, munching on a piece of beef jerky. He gave her a big smile as she came through the doorway. She wasn't sure if she liked that.

"Good morning, lil' lovebird," he cooed at her.

She gave him a look that was a mix between confusion and annoyance. Then she decided to ignore him. Running her hand across Daryl's forehead, she was sad to feel that he was still feverish. Grabbing the wash cloth out of the bucket of water, she laid it across his head.

"The doc left them off for the night because his skin was startin' to get all shriveled," Merle told her.

Carol nodded. "That makes sense. But his skin looks back to normal now and I don't want that fever frying his brain."

Merle's smile came back full force. "He spoke last night. In his sleep."

Carol's head whipped back towards Merle. She smiled back to him, thinking that was why Merle seemed so happy this morning. "That's fantastic! That's got to be a good sign."

"Doc thinks he was dreamin'. Must have been a real nice dream," he said smoothly, eyeing her up. "Called out yur name."

Carol was taken aback. "What?"

"Yep, calling out for you. I think you two were having a lot of fun last night together inside his head."

Carol could feel the start of a blush at the images his words put in her mind. Swiftly she pushed them from her mind. "That doesn't mean anything. I've been sitting with him for two days, talking to him. Plus, like I said before, we've been through a lot together."

"Oh no, darlin'," Merle said. "He wasn't just callin' for you with his mouth. He was callin' for you with other parts too. Parts a little lower on his body. Catch my drift?" He winked at her.

Carol could feel her face blushing scarlet. She understood exactly what he was saying. "Don't make fun of me, Merle," she said quietly to him, embarrassed.

At that moment, Herschel hobbled into the cell. He took one look at Carol's bright red face and turned to Merle.

"Damn it Merle! I told you to keep your big mouth shut!" Herschel cursed at him.

Hearing that from Herschel basically confirmed what Merle had been saying. It was true. Daryl was dreaming about her. The cell became claustrophobically small as the two men looked at her. One was concerned while the other was chuckling wickedly. She escaped, throwing herself out the door to the prison yard.

**Daryl**

Daryl could not wipe the smile off his face all the next day. It was a good thing he worked manual labor because he was moving mechanically, his brain was definitely not focused on his job. He didn't even care about all the crap he was taking from his co-workers, who were coming up with very creative scenarios about how he spent his rain day. All he had to do was think about Carol and they were forgotten.

Yesterday had been amazing. After the living room, he'd taken her into the bedroom for another session. They fallen asleep afterwards wrapped around each. When they woke up, they'd decided they were hungry and ordered in Chinese food. They ate lo mein, sesame chicken and dumplings in his bed, not caring one bit that they were making a mess of his sheets. They'd finished the day in the shower, cleaning up. It might have been a mistake to get in together because he could not resist taking her in there also.

At one point, probably between the second and third bout of lovemaking, he did bring up the question of pregnancy. Should he be using condoms? He didn't actually have any of his own but he was sure he could find some in Merle's stuff. She'd told him not to worry, she'd been on the pill since she'd had Sophia.

He was a little sad that he would not see them that day. Carol was working late with training at her new job and Sophia was back at Carl's working on their science project. Tomorrow he was picking Sophia up from school again so they'd spend the evening all together. It seemed too far away for him.

He had just gotten to sleep when the phone rang. He debated not answering it, just rolling back over till the ringing stopped but then he got this bad feeling.

"Hello?"

"Daryl?" It was Sophia's voice. She was very quiet but he could hear the fear in the high pitch.

"Sophia?"

"My dad. He's here! He's got-"

Suddenly there was a loud crash in the background followed by an angry male voice shouting. "You better not be talking on that phone, you little bitch!"

The line went dead.

"Motherfucker!" Daryl was up in a flash, pulling on his pants. He grabbed his boots and was out the door. He drove like a maniac, making the trip to their apartment in half the usual time. He didn't care about how many traffic laws he may have broken.

The cop car lights were flashing red and blue over the dark parking lot as he pulled in. He figured one of the neighbors heard the crashing and shouting and called the cops. Not unusual with tight housing conditions like these. Daryl parked and made his way towards Carol's place.

That was when he saw him. Ed. The cop had him handcuffed, leaning against the car. The man was big, with broad shoulders. Probably played football in his younger days but now he was starting to go soft in the middle. His hair was dark and his features thick. The cop was talking at him but it didn't seem like the man was paying attention to him. His mean eyes kept sweeping the parking lot, continually going back over to Carol's door, which was open. They briefly stopped on Daryl but dismissed him quickly.

Daryl made his way over to Carol's door but before he stepped in, he looked back at Ed. The man's eyes had focus on him intensely, boring right into him. Daryl simply nodded at him, conveying to him exactly who he was. The mean face looked confused for a moment before the information clicked. Then the features twisted in rage and the big man took a step towards him.

The cop was on top of him in a second, pushing Ed back against the car. The taser was pulled out and held menacingly in front of the large man if he decided to push it. His eyes left Daryl and his face cooled off, respecting the threat of the taser. Something was said to the cop, who proceeded to open the back door. Just before Ed was place inside, his eyes went back to Daryl and narrowed angrily. Daryl kept his emotions in check but he knew that he wanted to kill that guy.

Daryl walked into Carol's apartment and saw them both sitting on the sofa, talking with a female cop. As soon as they saw him, they ran over to him. He gathered them both in his arms and he could feel Carol trembling. They both seemed in shock. Slowly he guided them to the sofa and sat them down, his arms still around them.

The cop looked at him, his arms around her victims as they clung to him. "And you are…?"

"Daryl Dixon."

"Relationship?"

"I'm Carol's…boyfriend." He'd never said it before but it sounded right. "Her boyfriend," he said again with more confidence.

"Is my dad going to go to jail now?" Sophia asked hopefully. Daryl saw finger-shaped bruises on her forearm, probably where he'd grabbed her when she was calling him on the phone. It disgusted him.

"Unfortunately, we'll probably only be able to hold him about 24 to 48 hours. We've been really booked up lately. I promise you that my partner is reading him the riot act and that he'll be going away for a much longer time if he breaks the restraining order again," she told them. Then she leaned in closer to them and in a quieter voice said to Daryl, "You may want to stick close by though. I've seen cases like this where men like that don't want to give up what they think belongs to them. Sometimes it ends worse than this. Much worse." She straightened up and gave Carol her business card. "Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks," Carol said, her voice shaky. The cop let herself out.

Carefully he took Carol's chin and turned her face towards his, examining her. Her bottom lip had been split open and it was already puffy. Her cheek was bright red but not bruising. He'd probably only slapped her with an open palm.

"I'm going to kill that bastard," he muttered.

Carol just gave him a little smile and then winced as it pulled her lip. She took Sophia's hand and held it, rubbing her thumb over it reassuringly.

Daryl turned to Sophia. "He hit you?"

"No, he just grabbed my arm when he saw I was calling you on the phone." She held up her arm with the bruises.

He wrapped one arm around each of them again and pulled them into his body as he sat back into the sofa. He held them there for a long time and none of them talked. It was peaceful silence, just letting them process their own thoughts.

After a while, Sophia stirred and broke away from him. "I'm tired. I want to sleep." She headed for her bedroom.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" Carol asked her.

Sophia turned and looked at them holding each other, a smile on her lips. "Nah. I want my own bed. He's not coming back, at least not tonight. I love you, Mom." She turned back and walked towards her room.

Just before she walked through the doorway, she glanced back over her shoulder. "Thanks for coming for us, Daryl. You're like my knight in shining armor." Then she was gone. He felt his heart aching with her words.

He wrapped both his arms around Carol, who was trembling even more now that Sophia was gone. She had stayed strong for her girl but now that it was just her and Daryl, her emotions were coming out. Her face was buried in his chest and he could feel silent tears.

"Are you going to leave me?" she choked out.

"What?" He pulled her back by the shoulders to face him. "How can you say that?"

"I've brought all this drama into your life. My psycho ex stalking us. My kid calling you in the middle of the night. We're a lot of trouble for you. I wouldn't blame you if wanted out of this." More tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Stop." He pulled her back into him. "I told you yesterday that I loved you. I've never told anyone that before. I meant it. I'm not going to just walk out on you and just leave you to that asshole."

"He'll kill you if he finds out about you," she whispered frightfully.

"He already knows about me. We had some quality eye contact in the parking lot."

Carol jumped. "Oh god, he'll kill all of us for that!"

"He's gonna hafta go through me and I plan to take that son of a bitch down."


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on the last chapter! I am feeling the love! I'm going to slow things down a little or else the story's going to be over too soon. Here's some sweetness to break up the sex and violence. Hope you all like it!

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 10**

**Prison**

Around midday, Carol had calmed herself down enough to go back to Daryl's cell. She had panicked over what Merle had said, completely embarrassed. Yet, the more she thought about it, the better she felt. Not that she wouldn't probably blush immediately next time she saw Merle.

When Carol thought about Merle's words, she felt a thrill of excitement run through her. Could Daryl actually be harboring feelings for her? It seemed like too much to ask for. She'd developed feelings for him when he saved her life from the walkers overrunning the farm. Oh, who is she kidding?! She fell in love with him the day he was dragged in from the woods, injured while searching for her little girl.

It was true that they'd gotten close since then. Probably as close as he was with Rick. Carol knew that Daryl looked at Rick almost like a brother, the kind of brother he never had. But there was also a hierarchy there with Rick above Daryl when it came to decisions. With Carol, she was more like his best friend. They joke around, she'd make sure he was eating and he'd defend her against walkers.

But for him to have romantic feelings towards her? She wasn't beautiful or young or tough. Not like Andrea, Lori or Maggie. She was just plain, old Carol. Half the time she still felt like a burden to them, even though she had learned a lot of skills over the winter. Of course, Andrea was gone, Lori was dead and Maggie was taken. Maybe she was just the only one left.

She had heard for so many years from her dead husband how ugly and stupid she was, it was hard to think any other way. How could a man like Daryl possibly have feelings for her?

As she neared the cell, she steeled herself for whatever might be in there. However, all she found was Beth, cradling and cooing to Judith. Carol felt a little bad. She had been spending so much time by Daryl's bedside, she hadn't spent hardly any time with the baby. Most of it had fallen to Beth and Carl.

"Hi," Beth greeted her.

"Hi. How's the lil asskicker doing?" she asked as she took Judith in her arms.

Beth smiled. "That lil asskicker is doing great. I'm more worried about the big asskicker over here," she nodded towards Daryl.

"Well, I'm hopeful. They are supposed to get back from the run by tonight with medicine and fluids for him. Plus, he did actually talk in his sleep last night. That's a really good sign," Carol said as she rocked the baby.

Beth's eyes lowered to the floor, not looking at her.

"Oh my god! You heard what he said, didn't you!" Carol said, exasperated.

"Well, Carl overheard Merle and Herschel talking about it last night. Then he told me. He tells me everything, you know." Beth looked back up at her. "You shouldn't worry about it too much though. It's not like we all don't know that Daryl has a thing for you."

Carol just stared at her. It was one thing for Merle to say it but it seemed more significant coming from Beth.

Beth got up and took Judith from her. "I've got to change her diaper. You should take care of him."

Carol sat down in the chair, alone with Daryl now. She laid her head on his chest. His heart beat steadily, his breathing rhythmic. She wished she knew what was going on in his head.

**Daryl**

Daryl ended up staying the night at Carol's place after all the excitement settled down. He knew that he'd never be able to sleep at his place, even with Ed in custody at least through the night. They didn't do anything, just laid in Carol's bed with her in his arms until they fell asleep. It was comforting.

The next morning there was silent agreement between the two of them that Daryl would be staying. They debated briefly about going to Daryl's place but it was decided that because of close distance to Sophia's school, they would stay at the apartment. If there was any hint of a problem, they'd move to Daryl's.

Daryl watched Carol get dressed for work. He understood that she could not call out sick on her second day, especially when special computer training had already been arranged. She looked good, dressed all professionally. There was no bruising on her cheek from the slap and her split lip wasn't overly noticeable.

It was decided, mostly by Daryl and with approval from Carol, that he and Sophia get to take a mental health day. Sophia had no tests or outstanding homework and it was Friday. Daryl had only once taken a sick day from his job and that was when Merle had ended up in the hospital after getting his ass beat in a bar fight. Although, he had a feeling based on the laughing in the background that the guys didn't believe he was sick.

He gently kissed Carol good-bye, making sure not to put much pressure on her injured lip. They waved to each other as she pulled out of the parking lot. Then Daryl headed into Sophia's room, finding her stretched out across the bed, face buried in her pillow.

"Wake up," he said, nudging her leg.

Sophia groaned. "Do I have to go to school today? Last night was way to intense."

"Yur right, no school today," Daryl agreed.

Sophia sat up, looking at Daryl hopefully. "Really?"

"Yep. I got something way better than school planned for us. So you better get yur ass up and out of bed if you don't want to miss out," he smirked at her.

She was up in a flash, pushing him out the door. "Be out in 10!"

Once she was dressed and Daryl got her to eat some cereal, they headed out in Daryl's truck.

"Where we going?" Sophia inquired.

"Go-karting."

"Yeah? Never done that before."

"Not with your friends?" Daryl had been go-karting with Merle when he was a kid, although he later found out Merle's drug dealer worked there. Luckily, the place had been sold and cleaned out years ago.

Sophia frowned. "You mean my one friend, Carl." Daryl was silent, waiting for her to continue. She did. "No one else wants to be my friend. They all know about my dad. Some of the real jerks make fun of me but the others all look at me like I am a freak. I hate that. When I first met Carl, I am pretty sure he was only friends with me because his parents felt sorry for me. They know about my dad because Carl's dad is a police officer."

"Trust me, that kid ain't friends with you just because his parents told him too," Daryl told her, remembering the look on Carl's face when he was talking with Sophia.

"Oh, I know. Carl is my best friend. He's better than all those other jerks combined. But his parents don't let us go anywhere except his house, which is usually cool." Sophia stopped, thinking before speaking again. "I'm pretty sure Carl's dad said something to my mom, something about leaving my dad years ago. She didn't listen to him. It took that bastard hitting me for her to finally do it. If I'd known that, I would have taken that beating a long time ago."

Daryl shook his head. "Nah, your mom wouldna wanted that for you."

"I know. But at least she's standing up for herself for the first time. It makes me happy to see her strong, not so weak and cowering to him. I'm glad you're with her too. I think you make her stronger." Sophia smiled at him and he smiled back.

The pulled up into the parking lot of the activity center. There was mini-golf, batting cages, and an arcade. However, they were there for the go-karts. Together they walked up to the counter. When the stout black man at the counter turned around to help them, Daryl got hit with the feeling of déjà vu again. The man's name tag read "T-Dog". He didn't know why but seeing this man made him feel sad. He pushed those feelings back as he paid for their tickets. T-Dog gave no indication that he knew Daryl at all.

Go-karting was a blast! They were racing around the track with two college students who had scheduled all their classes in the afternoon and one business man who took long lunches just to enjoy the thrill of the speed. Sophia, getting to ride her own go-kart, hooted and hollered every time she went past someone and booed when someone pasted her. She won three out of the five races. While Daryl admitted to letting her win the first one, the other two were from her sheer determination.

After fully satisfying their speed demons, Daryl bought them hot dogs and soft pretzels at the snack bar. As they got back in the car, Daryl told her that he needed to pick up some clothes and things from his place. When they got there, he tried very hard to get her to stay in the car but she was not having it.

"So this is your house?" she asked as she walked through the front door.

"Yeah, I know. It's a piece of shit," he grunted.

"No," she disagreed, studying the browning walls, elderly furniture and shag carpeting. "It just needs a little love." Daryl couldn't help but feel like that was how he was before he met them.

"Hey, there's sodas in the fridge and the TV over there gets at least 5 channels. Make yurself comfortable." She nodded and went off to explore his kitchen.

Daryl first went into his bedroom and threw all the clothes he'd need for at least 3 days. Then he went into the bathroom and gathered up all his toiletries. The last stop was in Merle's room.

Whenever Merle either did time or decided to run off to wherever, Daryl would just shut his door and leave his room alone. But Daryl needed something in there now. Checking in all the doors and the top of the closet, Daryl came up empty-handed. It wasn't until he flipped the mattress up that he found what he was looking for.

A 9mm handgun.

As much as he preferred his crossbow, it was too ungainly for the current situation. Plus, he did not want Carol or Sophia to know he had the weapon. Daryl checked and found it was already loaded. Just like Merle to leave a fully loaded gun in his house. He buried the gun deep under his clothes in the bag.

When he got back to the living room, he was surprised not to find Sophia watching TV on the sofa. He heard sounds coming from the kitchen and moved that way.

"What are ya doin'?" he asked, seeing half her body in his lower cabinet. She squeaked and pulled herself out. Her hair was all messed up and he thought it looked cute.

"You've got no pots or pans," she complained.

"I don't really cook much. I got a grill out back when I hunt and I love my microwave. Why?" He looked at her suspiciously.

"I think we should cook my mom dinner. She needs a reward for going to work after last night and not getting to have fun with us today. However, the pots and pans at our apartment are so gross and you don't even have any cookware." She looked disappointed.

"We could buy some," he offered.

"I don't think it would be nice of me to ask that. Not after you already bought me a bunch of stuff today," she said.

"Naw, that stuff today was all for you. This would be for your mom. I think we should do it."

"What can you cook?" she asked.

He frowned, thinking. "Eggs?"

"That's more of a breakfast food. What else?" she pushed him.

"Squirrel," he stated matter-of-factly.

Sophia made a face. "Maybe next time. I did watch Carl's mother make spaghetti and meat sauce once. Didn't look too hard. What do you think?"

"Mmm, mmm," he hummed, licking his lips.

They stopped at a mega-Target that between his place and the apartment. They found some decent cookware that wasn't too expensive. On the way over to the food section, Sophia's attention was caught by the jewelry counter.

"Oh, shiny!" she squealed, looking at the rows of charms.

Daryl stepped up next to her, absent-mindedly looking at the next case over. It was filled with diamond engagement rings. As he really started looking at them, he could not believe how many different kinds there were. So many shapes, styles and even band colors. He was mesmerized as he stared at them.

"Looking at rings?" Sophia teased him.

"No," he said reflexively, taking a step back. "Let go get the food."

Sophia didn't move, gazing at the different rings. "I think she's really like this one."

Before he realized what he was doing, he stepped back up next to her. "Which one?"

She pointed at one near the back. "That one, with the round diamond in the center and the two little diamonds next to it. The one with the white gold band."

Daryl saw it, could even see it sparkling prettily on Carol's finger. Then he came to his senses and stepped back again. "I ain't lookin' at rings. Let's go," he said more forcefully.

Sophia just giggled at him. "Whatever you say!"


	11. Bonus Chapter

Hi everyone! So it has been brought to my attention that I left a pretty significant loose thread hanging. Back in chapter 7, I did a scene at the prison where Daryl briefly regains consciousness before slipping back into his coma. When he was awake, he saw Carol fighting off walkers. He interpreted this as a nightmare, even though that was actually reality.

So the question I received was how did those walkers get in there and what happened after what Daryl saw? I have been mulling it over in my head and decided to write a little bonus chapter to explain it. Not really Caryl so you can skip this if not interested.

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Bonus Chapter**

**Prison - Flashback**

Carl was anxious. And bored. This was a dangerous combination for Carl. He knew his dad, Glenn and Maggie would not be back from the run until at least the next day. He'd done his shift on watch this morning and eaten lunch with everyone after Michonne relieved him. Now he had nothing to do.

He walked by Judith's crib but she was sound asleep so he couldn't play with her. Beth was washing out Judith's dirty cloth diapers so he knew better than to go talking to her or else she'd make him help. He debated about hanging out with Michonne on watch but getting her to talk about anything was painful. He had no idea where Merle was but he wasn't interested in find him either. Maybe he should talk to Carol. She was just sitting with the comatose Daryl.

Carl decided that was his best option so he headed into the cell block. However, it was at that moment that Carol came out of the cell, carrying a bucket.

"Just got to refresh this. I'll be back in just a minute," she told him and walked out towards the pump. Carl frowned after her, wishing he had offered to do it for her but she was already gone.

He peeked into Daryl's cell but the man was just lying there, still out of it. Boring.

That was when Carl heard the sounds. Walkers. It was coming for the very far end of the cell block, behind the barred door. He could hear them groaning, scratching at the door and the walls. Things just got interesting.

He went over to the barred door and found the little room beyond it was empty. This was the little room that he'd kept Tyreese's group in initially. He thought it was a big mistake on his dad's part to let them go but there was nothing to be done about it now.

Then he saw the barred door across the room had a mass of walkers pressed against it. The two in front, dressed like prison inmates, noticed him and started slamming against the bars. Their hands were reaching out towards him, rotting fingers desperately trying to capture him.

Carl knew he should go get someone, like Michonne or Merle, since his dad was out and Daryl was incapacitated. Yet, he was bored and antsy from being anxious so this seemed like something he could do. If they kept pressing, they may get through that door so someone had to take care of them. Why not him?

He took out his gun, which was equipped with a silencer, and made sure it was fully loaded. Then he unlocked the first door, stepping into the room beyond. The walkers became more frantic as he inched a little closer to them. He raised the gun and eliminated the first two.

Their bodies dropped to the ground but were replaced by two more walkers. One was dressed like a prison guard but the other had been a woman. Probably had gotten in from the outside. Carl put bullets in each of their heads, dropping them on top of the other first ones. No more walkers replaced them.

Carl inched further cautiously. The area was silent and dark. Not thinking about it too hard, he unlocked the barred door. He carefully pushed the piled up dead walkers out of the way with his foot and stepped into the dark corridor. It was empty and quiet so Carl turned back towards the door.

Suddenly he felt something grab him from behind. He screamed, ripping his shirt out of the grasp of another walker. Stumbling over the walker bodies, he crossed through the first door and ran for the second one. As he tried to slam shut that door, the walker came up fast, wedging his arm in the way. Another walker pushed from behind and the combination of the two overwhelmed him.

The door opened and Carl took off up the stairs. Those two walkers started trying to make it up the stairs, which was pretty difficult for them. Unfortunately, Carl saw two other walkers head into the cell block. His mind flashed on Daryl's cell, which was wide open. Had Carol come back yet from getting water?

Needing to take care of himself first, he brought the gun up and put down the two walkers on the stairs. That was when he heard Carol yelling for Merle. Carl cringed, knowing they'd find out what he'd done.

Merle, hearing Carol yelling, came running out of one of the upper cells. He looked like he'd been sleeping, which made sense since he had taken the second overnight watch shift. Leaning over the railing, he saw a female walker dragging her broken leg enter Daryl's cell.

"Shit!"

He pushed Carl out of the way as he ran down the stairs and into Daryl's cell. Carl came down also, although somewhat slower. By the time he got there, both of those walkers were down and no more had come in. Carl went to the barred door quickly and relocked it.

Carol and Merle came out of Daryl's cell. Merle looked completely pissed off and Carol looked shaken. She had walker blood all down the front of her shirt. Both of them were looking right at him.

"What the fuck happened?" Merle spat at him.

Carl looked down at the floor and mumbled out what happened.

"Carl, what were you thinking? You could have been killed! If I had still been getting water, one of those walkers could have attacked Daryl and he'd have had no way to defend himself," Carol yelled at him. She didn't usually lose her temper but this had scared her badly.

"Give me those keys," Merle growled at him, swiping them out of his hand and going through the barred door. He locked the further door then relocked the nearer one. Then he pointed at Carl. "Yur cleanin' this up yourself."


	12. Chapter 11

We now return to your regularly scheduled Caryl…with smut!

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 11**

**Daryl**

"You two are incredible! I can't believe you cooked this whole dinner all by yourselves!" Carol exclaimed, smiling brightly as Sophia dished out the spaghetti and meat sauce. Never in her adult life had anyone actually cooked for her. It didn't matter that the pasta was slightly overcooked or that they'd had to scrape the burned parts off the garlic bread. Plus, Daryl had bodily blocked her from going into the kitchen so she was pretty sure there was a disaster waiting in there.

After dinner, they all watched TV cozy together on the sofa. At one point, Carol left to go to the bathroom and Daryl then caught her trying to clean up their mess in the kitchen. Sophia giggled like crazy and then all three of them cleaned it up. Daryl never had so much fun cleaning as he did with these two.

When Sophia went to bed, Daryl looked between the sofa and Carol's room. The decision was made when Carol took his hand and guided him into her bed. For two nights, he just held her as they went to sleep. It was a kind of closeness and intimacy he's never experienced before.

On the third night, as held her in his arms, she leaned up and sweetly kissed him on the neck. Then she leaned further and kissed his jaw line. He turned his head and caught her lips with his own. Their kisses this time were soft and tender with an underlying passion. They spent a long time exploring each other's mouths, not progressing past that until the need for more overwhelmed them.

Carol broke away first, wiggling out of her underwear. Seeing her, Daryl followed suit. She crawled on top of him, straddling him and pulled her sleeper tank top off. Daryl's hands cupped her breasts then slid slowly down her body, coming to rest on her hips. She took him into her, easing down his hardness. Ripples of pleasure shot through him but he gritted his teeth to suppress letting go too soon.

She put her hands on the headboard to give her leverage for moving against him. Unfortunately, the thing thudded against the wall loudly. Then noise startled them both and Carol let out a little giggle, the first noise they'd made since coming to bed. She readjusted so that her hands were leaning on either side of his pillow. Then she started to move against him again.

It was slow at first. They let the sensation of heat build hotter and hotter with their movements. At one point, Daryl wasn't sure how much more he could take. He was burning up. Then Carol's hips sped up, grinding against him at an almost frantic pace. She bit her bottom lip so that only small whimpering sound escaped her. He found those sounds both sexy and adorable, making him smile up at her even as he entered the throes of his own orgasm.

Afterwards, she laid on top of him, both of them panting to catch their breaths. Then she slipped back into her tank top and underwear, tossing him his own boxers. He had never taken off his T-shirt. She climbed back under the covers and laid on her side. He turned on his side and pulled her body against his, his arm across her waist. They feel asleep like that.

Suddenly, Daryl jerked awake, pain in his head. Carol was ripped out of his arms and she was screaming. A huge, dark shadow was dragging her towards the door. She was fighting but shadow was stronger. It was Ed.

Daryl tried to jump up, to help her. Yet, he couldn't move. Pain exploded in his head. Did that fucker hit him in the head with something?

Everything went black for him.

**Prison**

Carol sat by Daryl's bed, a wet cloth in her hands. She was wetting his lips and trying to dribble just a little bit of water into his mouth. She couldn't risk doing too much because he wasn't able to swallow. He could choke. Unfortunately, he was getting really dehydrated.

Suddenly, his entire body tensed up.

"Daryl?" _Was he waking up?_

No, he was still unconscious. Then he started to tremble and it got progressively more violent as she watched.

Panicked, she started screaming, "Help! Help! Herschel!"

He was thrashing about so hard that she was afraid he would fall off the bed. She laid on top of him, trying to hold his arms down.

Beth and Michonne, the two who were closest to the cell, came in quickly. Their faces registered what was going on with alarm.

"I think he's having a seizure! Where's Herschel?" Carol shouted at them.

"He's coming," Beth said as she sprinted out the door to get the medicine bag.

Merle replaced her. He took one look at what was happening and went to help Carol. He was better able to hold him down so that he wouldn't hurt himself.

"Damn it, baby brother," Merle cursed at him but his voice was worried.

Herschel came through the door with Beth just behind him, carrying the heavy bag. "How long has the seizure been going on?" Herschel threw at Carol as he started rummaging through the bag.

"About a minute."

Herschel found a vial and held it up. Diazepam, an anti-seizure medication. He used it as a sedative in horses but there was not much left in the vial. They were also very low on needles and syringes.

"I only got enough for one dose so this better work," he stated as he drew it up. "It's got to go IV so we are going to need to get his arm still for me to give this." It was a daunting task with the way he was thrashing.

Carol brought her whole body on top of his, pinning his one arm between their bodies. Michonne came up and held held down his legs as best she could. Merle steadied the arm for Herschel and Beth held off the vein. None of them made any comment as Herschel's hand shook with the needle as it approached the vein. Then he got steady and plunged the needle in. Draw back revealed blood so he knew he had hit the vein. He compressed the plunger, administering the medication.

Daryl thrashed once more wildly, his arm ripping out of Merle's grasp. Herschel was knocked to the side and the syringe went flying off into the corner of the room.

"Did we lose the dose?" Carol asked anxiously. Then, as if almost like magic, Daryl stilled beneath her. He became peaceful in his unconsciousness again.

Beth picked up the syringe and looked at the contents. "Looks like he got almost all of it so it must have been enough to help."

Carol got off of him and just stood by the bed, dazed. Beth, Michonne and Herschel started to leave. Herschel squeezed her arm.

"You did good," he encouraged her and left, following after Beth.

Carol didn't feel good. Her head hurt and she felt like she was going to vomit. She stared down at Daryl and was just crushed with worry for him after the seizure. Did this mean he was getting worse? Was he dying? Would she be losing this man she had become so close to?

A sob welled up in her throat before she could suppress it. Tears started leaking out of her eyes and she wiped at them desperately. Then she felt a warm body behind her, a strong arm turning her around and into him. Merle soothingly rubbed her back.

"He's gonna get through this. He's a tough son of a bitch," Merle assured her softly. Carol put her face into his shoulder and just cried. For the first time in the three days since this happened, she let herself cry.


	13. Chapter 13

Hi! Hope that cliff-hanger added to the suspense for everyone! You all caught that Daryl's seizure affected him in both worlds, right? The seizure was why he blacked out in the fantasy world also. Hope you all like this chapter even if it is a little short!

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 12**

**Daryl**

Daryl woke up.

He was still in Carol's bed. He didn't know how long he'd been out for but it was still dark. Hopefully it was not long. The pain in his head was still there but much less, just a dull ache that was easily ignored. Leaping out of the bed, he ran for the living room. The scene that greeted him made his blood boil.

Ed had Carol pinned to the floor, his body holding her down. His big hands were wrapped around her neck. He was choking her! Carol's fingers were clawing at his hands, trying to get him to release so she could breathe.

"You stupid whore! You think you can go fucking other men? You'll pay for that!" he screamed in her face. Then he slammed the back of her head into the floor, which luckily was carpeted.

Daryl was just about to tackle Ed when a voice on the other side of the room screamed out.

"Get off her!"

Sophia stood there, pointing Daryl handgun at Ed. She was crying. He had no idea how she found it in his bag but that didn't really matter at this point.

Ed dropped Carol, standing up towards Sophia. His hands were held up in front of him in a placating manner. Carol started coughing violently, gasping in ragged breaths. Daryl moved into the room to pull her behind him. No matter what happened, Ed wasn't going to put his hands on her again.

Ed took a step towards Sophia. "You're not going to shoot me, Sophia," he said to her in a gentle voice. "I love you. You're my little girl. Give me the gun."

Sophia took a step back from him. "No!" Her hand was shaking, which made Daryl very nervous. He very slowly started to inch his way behind Ed.

"Give me the gun, sweetheart. I don't want you to hurt yourself," Ed cooed to her in a saccharine sweet voice. Sophia backed up into the wall.

"No, I hate you!"

Ed raised his hand to swipe the gun out of Sophia's hand. Daryl tensed himself to wrestle the man down.

_BAM!_

The gun went off. Ed fell to his knees, clutching his right arm. Blood leaked out between his fingers. Sophia dropped the gun in fear.

"You shot me in the arm, you little bitch! I can't believe you actually shot me. I'll kill you!" Ed yelled in a rage, stumbling towards her.

Daryl was on him in a flash. His fist connected with Ed's face and blood spurted as his nose broke. Daryl kept punching him over and over again, not caring about the pain in his hand or the fact that Ed was no longer fighting back.

A hand tentatively gripped his shoulder and he backed off. Ed slumped on the floor and Daryl thought for a moment that he'd killed the man. Then Ed took a great big breath that gurgled in his throat and then his breathing became steady in his unconsciousness.

Carol moved behind him, walking over to Sophia as she cried silently against the wall. Daryl could already see finger-shaped bruises starting to show on her neck. She gathered her daughter in her arms and held her tightly, her one hand smoothing her hair. Then her big, tear-filled blue eyes went to him. Her hand came off Sophia and beckoned to him. He glanced down at Ed briefly to make sure he wasn't going anywhere and then wrapped his arms around the two of them.

He held them tightly, much like he'd done the last time Ed had attacked them. Then he let go and retrieved the gun off the floor. He unloaded it and laid it on the kitchen table. He grabbed his cell phone off the charger and was about to dial 911 when he heard sirens in the distance. They were coming this way.

Ed twitched on the ground and Sophia cried out. Carol walked her away from him, into her bedroom. Daryl crouched down beside Ed. He was not quite sure if Ed was aware or not. Yet, he wanted to get this out before they took him away.

"Listen up, asshole. They don't belong to you anymore. You ever come near them again, I'll kill you."

Daryl was pretty sure the man acknowledged that.

**Prison**

Merle let go of Carol as she stepped back from him. Her sobs had finally stopped and she felt somewhat embarrassed for breaking down like that. Yet, Merle had an almost kind, sympathetic look on his face for her. It made her see him more as a real person than just Daryl's obnoxious older brother.

"They're back! They're back!" Carl yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran into the cell block. A flurry of activity erupted with that announcement.

Carol and Merle rushed out of the cell behind everyone else heading to the common area.

Maggie and Glenn were carrying in pallets of canned food.

"How'd you make out? That from the Walmart?" Herschel asked his daughter.

"Nope, that place was covered with walkers. We actually found this at one of the houses next to the vet hospital. That person must have been hoarder because there was a ton of food in the basement. Jackpot for us!" Maggie said happily.

Glenn looked at Carol. "He still with us?" he asked tentatively. Carol nodded, not wanting to go into more details. Glenn smiled, looking relieved and they went out to get more.

Rick came in carrying a large box full of medical supplies. He turned to Herschel. "We didn't find everything on the list but we got some other stuff we might be able to use." The two of them headed for Daryl's cell, Carol and Merle right behind them.

Herschel started pulling things out of the box. Bags of saline fluids, IV lines, IV catheters, medical tape, vials of antibiotics and pain medication. Rick had even scored a bunch of oral antibiotics and anesthesia drugs if they needed them for later. There was even a replacement vial of the Diazepam that they just used up.

"Carol, come hold off this vein for me," Herschel directed her. He popped in the IV catheter and taped it into place. The saline fluids started running and he administered a good dose of IV antibiotics. "Now we wait and see how he does."


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks for all the great comments on the last chapter! Glad you all liked it. I noticed the numbering system on the chapters got all messed up with my bonus chapter. Oh well. We are getting into the home stretch of this story so keep reading!

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 13**

**Daryl**

Time seemed to fly by after that awful night for Daryl. Ed was taken away in the ambulance but he was still arrested for breaking and entering and assault along with a second violation of his restraint order. At the hospital, he had to have two separate surgeries, one for the gunshot wound in his arm and the other for all the broken bones in his face. In fact, the bullet had ripped through one of his major nerves and the use of his hand was severely limited. After spending three weeks in a locked down hospital, he was moved to the prison to serve a four-year sentence.

Since Ed was in prison, they all decided to move back into the house he'd claimed when Carol left him. It was in both their names so Carol had every right to go back. The first thing she did was stuff everything of Ed's into big black trash bags and donate them to the local shelter. She got rid of his big leather recliner that he wouldn't let anyone sit in but himself. She even got a new mattress for the king-sized bed. Every trace of him had to be gone.

Daryl moved most of his stuff in but he kept the little run-down house. He knew Merle would want to come home to it. Honestly, Daryl felt much better about Merle having a place to go than trying to crash with them. Plus, the mortgage had long been paid off and the utilities and property taxes were pretty low.

Daryl could not believe how much he loved domestic life. It was something he always felt sorry for other men that seemed trapped in that life. Now he realized he had been the one missing out. He'd wake up every morning with this beautiful, amazing woman beside him. Then he would go to his job where he got to revel in nature, although there was still a good amount of razzing from his co-workers. Honestly, he was pretty sure half of them were just jealous of his new, perfect life. Then he'd come home and hang out with Sophia until Carol got home. Together, they'd make and eat dinner. Some nights, he and Carol would make love and other nights they'd just be together.

It was about a month after that night that Sophia's science fair occurred. They were getting into the car to head over to the middle school together when Carol paused.

"Let me just check the mail real quick," she said as she jogged over to the box. Pulling out a large yellow envelop, she squealed, "It's here!"

"What?" Sophia asked, concentrating more on her speech cards than what Carol was carrying.

Daryl's face broke out into a huge smile. He already figured out what she was carrying.

"The divorce settlement!" Sophia's head whipped up to look at Carol. "We're free of him!" Carol cried out. There was much kissing and joyful celebration over that.

They were all in such a great mood as they pulled up to the middle school. Carl came running over to Sophia as soon as she got out of the car. Both kids were very excited about the project they had spent months working on.

Carl's parents were waiting for them in front of the main entrance to the school. When Daryl had first seen Carl, he'd gotten that strange sense of recognition. He was not surprised when he felt the same sensation seeing Carl's parents.

For Lori, he got the same sense of sadness he'd gotten for T-Dog, the attendant at the go-kart place. Even stranger, he got this image of her being very pregnant in his head. Yet, there was no indication she was pregnant at all now. As for Rick, the feelings were almost as strong as the first time he met Carol at the courthouse. Whereas his feelings for Carol were passionate, for a lover, his feelings for Rick were more like a best friend's. Like a brother's. This man was important to him somehow.

The women and children went into the building but Rick put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"Hey, I just want to tell you that I heard about what happened with Ed," Rick told him.

"Oh yeah, Sophia said you were a cop," Daryl responded, not quite sure where this conversation was going.

Rick's look was intense for a second but then he grinned. "That jerk-off had it coming. I was so glad when Carol finally decided to leave him but I was worried that possessive prick would go after her. Thank god you were there to put him down."

Daryl was a little taken aback by the compliment from the cop but felt pride well up inside him. "Just doing what needed ta be done," Daryl stated.

"Yeah, you did. You did real good." Rick patted him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture as they started to head inside. "Hey, we're hosting a cookout next weekend at our place. You all should come by."

Daryl smiled and accepted the offer as they moved to take their seats in the audience of parents. He never realized how good being accepted felt.

The room went dark, the light focused on the stage. Sophia and Carl were the third in line for their presentation. Daryl was very impressed with the power point presentations and original ideas for science fair projects. He'd pictured kids running mice through mazes and blowing up little volcanoes. By the time Sophia and Carl got up there, he was pretty interested to find out what their project was about.

The title flashed on the screen, "A Study on the Use of Different Materials to Aid in Oil Spill Clean-Up." The opening sequence was a poignant video showing the destructiveness of the BP oil leakage into the Gulf of Mexico. Seeing all the animals, birds and shorelines covered with black oil was heartbreaking. Then they went over the different material they tested, even showing videos of the testing and results. It looked like the kids had a lot of fun doing it. When it was over, Daryl couldn't help but clap the loudest for them.

By the end, Sophia and Carl won second place, which had them overjoyed. Carl commented that the kid who took first, Milton, was a total brainiac and he deserved it for his genetic sequencing experiment. Even so, they both won a microscope, which Sophia cradled lovingly as they left.

When they got home, Daryl decided it was time. He went to his nightstand and felt around at the very back of his drawer. His fingers snagged the small, black, velvet box and he opened it, inspecting the contents. It was the diamond ring that Sophia had pointed out so long ago. Actually, it hadn't been that long, Daryl realized. Only about 2 months. Had it really only been that short of a time period that his whole life has so drastically changed?

He saw Sophia in her room, setting up her new microscope and he slipped downstairs without her noticing. Carol was sitting in the kitchen, looking over the divorce papers.

"Looks like the judge was pretty harsh on him. Not that he didn't deserve it. We got everything except for his 401K and his small savings account. The house, the joint checking account and the two cars all went to us. I think we're gonna be pretty comfy here. What do you think?" she smiled at him.

"Yeah," he said and cringed at the nervous tint in his voice.

She looked at him concerned. Before she could jump to any bad conclusions, he laid the little box on the table in front of her. She stared at it then looked back up at him, almost questioningly.

"I was waiting for the papers to come," he stated. Then he opened the box and she gasped, seeing the ring. A bright smile broke out on her lips.

She said something but he didn't hear it. "What?" he asked. There seemed to be this strange buzzing in his ears. He shook his head but it got worse. His eyes started to get fuzzy as well, the room around him out of focus.

Sophia walked through the door. Yet it wasn't his Sophia. It was the monster in the blue rainbow shirt. But even she was fading. He reached out to Carol but his fingers went right through her. He was panicking as everything around him disappeared into blackness.

**Prison**

Carol pulled the thermometer out of Daryl's mouth. "99.3 degrees. His temperature is almost back to normal." Her hand went to his forehead and she was please that it didn't feel nearly so hot as before.

Herschel pinched Daryl's skin. "His dehydration is almost corrected also. I always said that fluids do wonders. Those and antibiotics. How's the wound looking?" he asked as he handed her some more bandages.

"Better," Carol replied as she threw out the old ones. "There is already less of that green discharge and it doesn't look quite so angry red." She cleaned off all the crusting with hydrogen peroxide and then applied the fresh bandage.

"I expect that he'll be waking up anytime now," Herschel commented as Carol stood up.

"I hope so. Anyway, I got watch duty." Then she paused and pressed her lips to Daryl's cheek. She walked out of the cell without looking at Herschel, who had a little grin on his lips. She nodded to Merle as he made his way into the cell.


	15. Chapter 15

So tomorrow is looking exceptionally busy so I decided to knock out another chapter tonight. Tomorrow night is Game of Thrones and that is my new TV obsession without The Walking Dead on (although there is no couple in there nearly as intriguing as Daryl/Carol). Thanks for reading!

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 14**

**Daryl**

Daryl regained consciousness very gradual. It was like he was slowly drifting up through layers of awareness. The first thing he became aware of was pain. It wasn't an awful level of pain but his head ached and his shoulder was throbbing dully. He was also weak, so very weak. He couldn't even move at first.

Then he became aware that he wasn't alone. There were voices, two of them. Initially, it was just babble, not understandable to him. As he floated up, words got more distinct. The voices were male and he recognized one of them as Merle's. That confused him. Wasn't Merle in jail?

The other voice sounded older and he didn't recognize it.

No, wait.

He did recognize that voice. It was Herschel. A picture of a white-haired Southern gentleman popped into his head. They met on a farm. When had he been on a farm?

He reached another level of consciousness and could feel that he was lying on a bed. His muscles were stiff, like he hadn't moved in a long time. There was a blanket tucked around him. The air felt mild, not overly hot or cold.

"I'm tellin' you, man. The guy has heavy artillery. He slaughtered a group of the National Guard to get that stuff. He's got armored vehicles that are gonna roll through here and blow this place up," Merle impressed upon the old man.

Herschel sighed. "Carol and I think we should run, take our chances back on the road. But Rick thinks we should fight."

Hearing her name was like a slap to his face. It brought back everything. Everything. The memories of the rise of the walking dead, losing the farm, finding the prison and Woodbury flooded into his mind. Yet, his memories of Carol and Sophia were crystal clear as well. He realized with horror that his nightmare was actually reality.

That was when Daryl started to scream.

**Prison**

Carol stared down the scope of the rifle, the muzzle pointed out towards the surrounding woods. She swore that she purposeful movement through the trees. She was hoping to take out one of the Woodbury spies. It would take a little of the heat of them. With her nerves so on edge from Daryl, her feelings of mercy were at an all-time low.

Her finger tensed on the trigger but then a female walker stumbled out into view. Disappointed, she lowered the rifle.

Suddenly, Glenn burst through the door, breathing fast. He swallowed, trying to catch his breath and Carol looked at him questioningly.

"Daryl's awake! He's calling for you!" Glenn spurted out.

Carol blinked at him then moved into action. She thrust the rifle at him and he already figured he'd be taking over her watch duty. She flew through the door inside and into the common area.

As she ran, she could hear him screaming her name. The sound was echoing off the walls. She pushed away the question of just why he woke up calling out so desperately for her. She rounded the corner into the cell block, hearing Merle's voice speaking up.

"She's comin'! She was on watch. Calm down, lil brother!"

Daryl didn't listen, growling out an angry noise of frustration.

"I'm here!" she shouted. The entire group was gathered outside his cell and they turned towards her as she approached. A path was cleared to let her through. "I'm right here, Daryl," she told him as she neared his bed.

He was sitting up, shirtless save for the large bandage across his shoulder. The look of relief on his face stunned her for a moment but then he was reaching for her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his body. He buried his face into her chest, just below her neck. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his head to steady him.

Looking over at everyone watching them, she made a face and motioned silently for them to all get out. They all took the hint and backed away, leaving the cell block. Merle was the last to go. Before he left, he looked her straight in the eye, his gaze intense. It was like he was trying to convey a message to her. A message to take care of the man clutching so urgently at her. She nodded to him that she understood. He walked out.

With everyone gone, her attention focused back on Daryl. As she gently smoothed down his hair, she realized that he was silently weeping. He made no noise but she could feel his tears as they splashed on her skin. His body trembled as he held her.

"Shhh, it's okay," she told him, laying her cheek against the top of his head.

"No it ain't," he mumbled.

She drew back a little from him, although not far as his arms tightened around her, afraid that she would leave him. Her hands caressed his face, her thumbs wiping away his tears even as new ones fell.

"Yes it is," she told him firmly. "You are awake. You were out for three days. You had a seizure. I thought you were going to die and it scared the hell out of me. Out of all of us. But you didn't die. You survived and now you're awake. That means everything is going to be okay."

She could not stop herself. She kissed him on the forehead and pulled him back against her, laying her cheek against his head again. He was still crying, despite what she had said. She didn't know why. She didn't know that he was crying for the loss of the world. He was crying for the loss of Sophia, her daughter that he had planned to adopt as his own, who was nothing more now than a memory. A monster who came out of the barn.

Most of all, he cried for the loss of his perfect life with her.


	16. Chapter 16

Guess what! Got my work project done earlier than expected and my nephew's party was over sooner than I thought. That means we get another chapter today! I've got to get this story out of my head. Enjoy…

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 15**

**Prison**

Carol came walking into the common area. Almost everyone was gathered there except for Glenn on watch duty. It had been about an hour since Daryl had woken up screaming and they all looked expectantly at Carol.

"I've gotten him calmed down but he won't tell me why he's so upset. He says he's hungry now," she reported to them. Carol headed toward the kitchen.

Beth jumped up, "I'll help!"

Herschel smiled. "That's good that he's hungry. His body needs the nutrients and calories to help with healing."

And he certainly healed fast. Within 6 days he was almost back to normal. He was still getting rare headaches and his shoulder wound was itching as it healed inward but he was walking around like he hadn't come so close to death. He was even well enough to accompany Rick and Herschel to meet with the Governor at the failed peace summit.

Although he was basically back to acting just like he was before, Carol noticed a difference. She'd catch him staring at her much more often than before. Once in the middle of the night, she awoke to find him in her cell. He was sitting on the other side with his back against the wall. His face was so sad that she went and just held him. She wanted to ask what was going on in his head but she sensed he just wasn't ready yet.

He was also touching her more. Before, he would only touch her when there was a purpose for it. Now it seemed like whenever they were in the same room, he would touch her hand or her shoulder. Once he even ran his fingers up her back and cupped her neck as he talked with her. It sent a thrill of sparks through her whole body and she needed him to repeat her words, she was so distracted.

The evening that Daryl came back after tracking down Merle was when it all came to a head. He'd walked in, his stride stiff and angry. Through gritted teeth, he'd told them what the Governor had done to his brother. Shot him in the chest, let him turn and left him for Daryl to find. He didn't say the words but everyone knew what Daryl had to do, put down his own brother. It was harsh.

Daryl fled to the solitude of the other cell block, which they had finally cleared and blocked off from walkers wandering in. They all gave him space, knowing that Daryl would need time alone and would come back to them when he was ready. All of them except for Carol.

After a half hour of giving him space, she decided she needed to make sure he was okay. This was a major trauma, losing Merle. She was convinced he still wasn't fully recovered from his last major trauma of being in a coma for three days. She knew that going to him now was risking his wrath, especially since his main way of dealing with emotions was with anger. It would be worth it. She would take anything he threw at her if it helped to lessen his pain at all.

As she crept into the cell block, she didn't see him at first. She walked slowly and quietly through the large room so as not to disturb him. It wasn't until she got to the farthest cell that she found him. He was lying on the bottom bunk, his hands over his eyes. She saw that his knuckles were bruised and bloody. He must have punched the wall in his fury. She knew that he must have sensed that she was there but he didn't move. Instead of going to him as she wanted, she sat down on a metal chair next to the door to the cell, not wanting to crowd him if her presence wasn't wished for.

They both just sat there, still like that for several minutes. Then Daryl sat up and looked at her. He didn't look angry, more thoughtful. She made eye contact and gave him a tight-lipped little smile.

Suddenly, he stood up and walked over to her. She scrambled to her feet in front of him. His look was so intense now and she wasn't sure if he was going to start cursing her out or push her out of the cell to get rid of her.

Then a tear slipped down his face and she could hear his voice cracking as he talked. "Oh god Carol, I need you so bad now. Be with me?"

She understood what he was asking of her. During his coma, she had fully accepted her true feelings for him. She did not know if this desperation for her meant true feelings or if he was just longing for comfort. It didn't matter; she was ready to give him whatever he needed.

She nodded, her eyes never leaving his.

His hands came up and cupped her face. Pulling her into him, his lips pressed against hers, sending shockwaves through her.

**Daryl**

When he heard someone coming into the cell block, he knew it was her. His rage was cooling as his knuckles throbbed dully, leaving him with feelings of sadness and emptiness. If it had been anyone else, he would have sent them away. But not her.

She'd given him space and he felt a wariness coming off her. His thoughts flashed back to that night at the farm after Sophia came out of the barn when he's completely freaked out at her. He was ashamed of how he'd treated her when she must have been hurting so badly. How could he have said such horrible things like that to her?

Then his mind turned inward, to the fantasies of them being together. Oh, how he needed her in that moment! He went over to her, his quick movement startling her.

He didn't even care that his voice was harsh and cracking as he asked her to be with him. She knew nothing of them being together so intimately in his mind and he fretted for a moment that she would turn away from him.

When she nodded, his heart soared. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. It was gentle at first but very soon became hungry, greedy. She tasted so good. His body pushed against her, pressing her into the wall. Her arms wrapped around his waist, keeping him anchored.

He broke the intense kiss, both of them already breathing heavy. His lips went to her neck, tasting her. She was slightly different to him, tasting a little saltier but still soft and warm. His hands ran down her sides, resting on her hips.

He wished he could have taken his time, worshipped her like he'd done the first time they'd made love in his mind. Yet, his craving for her was so intense that he could feel that he was already rock hard just from kissing her.

His fingers slipped under her shirt, brushing along the skin at the waistband of her jeans. Just feeling her flesh was sending tingles through his hand and up his arm. He needed more. He pulled her shirt up and over her head somewhat roughly. His finger deftly undid the clasp of her bra, a skill he'd mastered in his fantasy but had never actually done in reality. He pulled the offending cloth off her and tossed it across the cell.

His mouth went to her breast and he heard her moan softly. Her hands were in his hair, fingernails scrapping along his scalp so seductively.

In one swift movement, he picked her up, spun her around and laid her down on the bunk. She had tensed up but then relaxed as he kissed her deeply again. He stood up and pulled off his own shirt, glad his shoulder was almost healed and he no longer needed the bandage. Off came her shoes and his shoes. His hands opened the button and zipper of her pants and he pulled them with her underwear down her legs.

He stared at her for a second and she was just as beautiful to him in reality as she had been in his fantasy. She caught his look and became self-conscious, her hands unsure what to do as they fidgeted over her naked body. He found it amazingly sexy.

He whipped off his belt and shoved down his pants, stepping out of them. Leaning over her, he kissed her, his tongue dueling with hers as he explored her mouth. Ever so subtly, he nudged her raised knees, which parted readily for him. He moved his body between her legs and stopped. He wanted to be like it was.

Carol sensed his hesitation and her hands came up around his neck, pulling his mouth down to hers. At the same time, her legs wrapped around him, urging his forward. He pushed into her, moaning as her warm, wet core enveloped him. Was it possible that this was even better than his dream? She twisted slightly under him, her legs tightened to push him in further. The tiny bit of friction was almost enough to send him over the edge. Oh god, it was better!

He breathed deeply and in a few seconds he was ready. His initial tries were somewhat arrhythmic but soon he got the hang of it. His thrusts were matched by her hips coming up to meet him. Her hands gripped his shoulders and he could feel her fingernails biting into his skin. It added to the powerful sensations rocking his body.

It was not long before her moaning turned into cries of pleasure and he felt her inner muscles spasming around him. The added vibrations from her was more than enough to send him spiraling into orgasm. His heated seed spilled into her.

He panted into her neck as her hands rubbed soothingly up and down his back. He felt like he had come home.


	17. Chapter 17

Here it is, the last chapter! Hope you all enjoy it and I'll see you at the end…

The Walking Dead does not belong to me but I love those who it does belong to.

**Chapter 16**

**Prison**

Carol woke up practically encased in Daryl's body. She was on her side with him pressed up against her back. His arms were wrapped around her body, her head resting on his upper arm. His feet were tangled in hers. She could feel his warm breath on her neck and the steady rhythm of it was delicious.

Before she could allow her thoughts to stray in that direction, she gently shifted away from Daryl, careful not to wake him. The sun was just filtering through the bars of the cell. Carol had the early morning watch duty and she did not want anyone coming to find her. She pulled on her clothes, slipping her feet into her shoes. There was just enough time for her to slip back into her own cell to change her clothes before anyone noticed.

Michonne was on the late night shift just before hers. She nodded to the dark woman, taking the rifle as it was handed to her. Carol directed her attention to the outside, making note of all the various walkers milling around. No obvious threats presented themselves.

"How's he doin'?"

Carol turned back, surprised that Michonne was speaking to her. It wasn't that the woman disliked her or anything but she was quiet with everyone, only speaking when necessary.

Michonne continued before Carol could answer. "It wasn't like I was part of the Merle fan club or anything. He tried to kill me once before and then offer me up as a sacrifice to the Governor yesterday. But I did see it for what it was, a way to help his brother. The decision weighed heavy on him. So heavy that he let me go. He took the matter in his hands. Even if he didn't succeed and he was still an asshole, I can admire that."

"Yeah, Merle definitely had a way about him. A way that made you want to slap him. But he did love his brother and he gave us a chance against the Governor," Carol responded.

"So were you able to sufficiently distract Daryl's attention last night before he broke his hand punching a wall or something?" Michonne asked her straight-faced.

Carol stared at her, not sure if she was asking a serious question or inferring that she knew what actually went on between the two of them last night. Then she saw Michonne's lips twitch and she could not help but giggle that this stoic woman was teasing her!

"I think he was sufficiently distracted," Carol laughed.

Michonne gave her a smile, a real one. Then the woman turned and left without another word.

Carol spent the next hour idly watching the walker. However, she had to admit that her mind was not really focused on the job. It was too busy reliving the events from the night before. His lips kissing her, his hands running all over her body, the feel of him inside her. She was making herself blush just thinking about it.

Daryl came then, carrying a bowl of oatmeal and a little plastic cup of fruit cocktail for her. She thanked him brightly then sat down on the wooden crate off to the side to eat. She expected Daryl to leave, to prepare for the inevitable show-down with the Governor but he actually sat down next to her.

She quirked an eyebrow at him questioningly as she spooned oatmeal into her mouth.

He smiled at her and said, "So before Merle left, he told me I embarrassed myself pretty good when I was out. Told me I embarrassed you too."

There was that blush again. "That wasn't your fault. You were unconscious. And your brother wasn't exactly sensitive when it came to other people's feelings. But he loved you and was so worried about you when you were sick."

Daryl looked away, off into the distance at the shuffling walkers. She could tell he didn't want to talk about it as the silence between them became a little uncomfortable.

Figuring the damage had already been done and needing to get the question off her mind, she spoke up. "So, last night. Was that just for comfort or was that…something?" Daryl looked at her but didn't speak so she blurted out, "It's okay either way. I just want to know where we stand with each other."

Daryl looked thoughtful for another moment. Then asked, "Which would you rather it had been: comfort or something?"

"Something," Carol stated without any hesitation. Her eyes were nervously on the floor, her stomach clenching. The longer the silence stretched, the more her certainty grew that he was going to tell her it was just comfort. How could he possibly want more with her?

After what felt like a long time to her but was really only about a minute, he answered. "It was something." His hand went to hers. "It was something to me."

She squeezed his hand, relief flooding through her that he felt the same way. He was silent again and it seemed like he was wrestling with telling her more.

"I'm ready," he stated.

"Ready to tell me what happened to you when you were unconscious for three days?"

"Was it really only three days? It felt like months to me. See all this?" His hand swept out in front of them, indicating the walkers. "None of this had happened. It was like it had been before. I didn't remember any of this, any of you. I woke up in a courthouse, just after Merle was sentenced to go to prison for drug possession and assault." He stopped and chuckled, considering where they were with that statement. Then he continued, "You were there, buying a drink from the coffee place. I recognized you. No, that's the wrong word because I didn't know who ya were. I felt like I knew ya even though I didn't know your name or anything about you. I ended up buying you a hot chocolate just to get to talk to ya."

Carol laughed, "I miss hot chocolate."

He continued, telling her everything. He didn't miss any details, right down to them getting ice cream in the zoo and lugging Ed's old recliner to the homeless shelter. He wasn't too graphic about the sex but it was implied. He had Carol's rapt attention and she only made a few little comments. Her eyes did fill with tears as he told her about Sophia, what she was like there. Then her eyes grew wide when he recounted their violent encounters with Ed, especially when he told her about Sophia shooting him. He stopped short of telling her about his proposal.

"Pretty crazy, right? All that in just three days," he finished.

She seemed kind of stunned. "Yeah. I can't believe your brain came up with all of that in such detail. I feel a little like I missed out."

He drew her into his arms, laying her head on his shoulder. "It hurt so bad when I woke up, realizin' none of it had been real. But yur here, yur real. And I love you Carol. I think I've loved you for a long time. It just took me a knock on the head and a coma to realize it."

She was speechless. This was not what she expected. She pulled him tighter in her arms and whispered, "I love you too."

Daryl drew back, his hand fumbling around for something in his pocket. It was a diamond ring set in a white gold band. It was not exactly like the one he'd gotten for her before but it was closest he could find.

Her face was so surprised. This was even more unexpected. Yet, he had already decided, both in his fantasy world and again in this world, that he could not live without her. "Be with me always, Carol."

"Yes," she told him, her voice choked up as he slid the ring on her finger.

This time he heard her loud and clear.

**The End**

I hope everyone enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Thanks so VERY much for those of you who commented, followed and favored this story. After knocking out both this story and "The Green-Eyed Monster", I am taking a break from writing and going back to my normal reading of fan fiction. Plus, I am out of original ideas at the moment.

If anyone has any ideas for new stories that they like to collaborate on, let me know. I enjoy it. Also, if anyone has any really good Caryl fan fics I should read, I'd love the recommendations.


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